Gordon Hayward will be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason, and the Miami Heat are making noise as a potential suitor.
The NBA Finals are over, so let the arms race begin. As the Warriors bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy, other teams go back to the drawing board to figure out how to get it from them. Not every team will compete for a title next season, and those teams know it.
The Miami Heat aren’t one of those teams. Whether or not they can make the finals is (mostly) irrelevant. Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg and the rest of the front office will build a roster that can get them as far as they can. That’s the goal: Play basketball for as long as possible.
Kevin Durant and Steph Curry won’t be leaving the Warriors, which makes Utah’s Gordon Hayward the biggest prize available this summer.
The Celtics have long been considered a real contender to land Hayward, and he may not leave the Jazz, but more and more reports are placing the Heat among his possible suitors.
While there is yet to be a link between the team and Hayward himself, Miami makes a ton of sense for the 27-year-old All Star. Here are four reasons why: