The Miami Heat are among the teams pursuing Tyreke Evans from the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Miami Heat might be in luck.
Suffering a four-game losing streak, the Heat are desperately searching for answers to revitalize a spotty offense, that’s resulted in either losing leads or failed attempts to claw back from a deficit.
But with the trade deadline approaching and teams itching to move players, the Heat have the chance to capitalize on the tanking Memphis Grizzlies. After shutting down guard Mike Conley for the season and firing coach David Fizdale, the Grizzlies have relegated themselves to the bottom of the West, hoping to re-up on a fresh season with a healthy Conley and Marc Gasol.
Memphis’ tank job has led to the Grizzlies shopping guard Tyreke Evans, drafted No. 4 overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. Evans, who is averaging a near career high 19.1 points, would directly address Miami’s need for consistent scoring and confident ballhandling.
Three frontrunners (Boston, Denver and Philadelphia) and a fourth team (Miami) staying engaged on Memphis' Tyreke Evans, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2018
Pursuing Evans is made even more palatable given Miami’s current injury situation.
That’s right, injuries are going to help the Heat.
At the start of the month, Miami confirmed the organization was allowed a $5.5 million exception following Dion Waiters’ season-ending injury. The exception covers the Heat signing or trading for a player for the aforementioned amount, so long as he is on an expiring contract.
Heat confirmed it was granted $5.5 M disabled player exception in wake of Waiters injury/surgery
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) February 1, 2018
Evans checks both of those boxes.
Under contract for a cool $3.2 million until the end of the season, Miami could avoid dealing any major young pieces like Justise Winslow or Josh Richardson, while reinforcing their lineups ahead of Rodney McGruder’s return from injury and the uncertainty around Kelly Olynyk’s left shoulder.
As it stands, the Heat could part ways with any of their backup players like Jordan Mickey or AJ Hammons. The salaries don’t match, but assuming the Grizzlies agree, the trade exception would cover Evans deal through the season’s end.
The deal is even sweeter due to the lack of commitment on Miami’s part. If Evans doesn’t work out, the Heat can bid him farewell as he searches for his next contract in summer 2018.
For the last few seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies have been akin to the Miami Heat’s Western Conference affiliate. A number of Heat players have spent time or are currently employed by the Grizzlies, including Shane Battier, Mike Miller, James Ennis III and of course, two-time NBA champion Mario Chalmers.
The inter-team connection continued in coaching. David Fizdale, who sat eight years as an assistant coach in Miami, was hired by the Grizzlies in 2016.
Next: Miami Heat trades that need to happen now
Evans just might be the next bridge between the Heat and Grizzlies, keeping alive a tradition of shared talent.