The Miami Heat were within one game of making the NBA Finals this year, and there is no doubt that with a few changes, they could become a true championship-caliber team.
A key decision for the Miami Heat will be the decision on the future of elite defender P. J. Tucker. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has reported that the Philadelphia 76ers are set to offer him a three-year $33 million deal. If he leaves in free agency, the Miami Heat will reportedly try to trade for Jae Crowder, or sign T. J. Warren in free agency.
With Tucker having turned 37 in May, teams utilizing salary-cap exceptions to sign the veteran power forward are limited to three-year packages due to the NBA’s over-38 rule that limits long-term deals with older players.
Although they either would have to trade several players or have James Harden return on a smaller contract in order to create a $10.3 mid-level exception of their own, the Philadelphia 76ers, according to numerous media reports, are poised to offer Tucker such a three-year, $33 million deal.
Should the Heat lose out on Tucker, the team, according to an NBA source, is considering either a trade for former Heat power forward Jae Crowder, who is entering the final year of a contract that pays $10.2 million next season with the Phoenix Suns, or a possible free-agent move for Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren.
Those, however, only would be fallback positions if current Heat teammates are unable to convince Tucker to stay.
It remains to be seen if the Miami Heat do end up acquiring either of the two forwards in the future, as it is unclear if the P. J. Tucker will ultimately end up parting ways with the team. T. J. Warren is a great scoring forward, while Jae Crowder is a good 3 and D player. Both players could end up being good fits with the team.
The Miami Heat also checked in about San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray, and perhaps he could be a higher-end addition for them. We will see what they end up doing, and there is no doubt that they are likely exploring all pathways to improve.
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