The Memphis Grizzlies traded Kyle Korver to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Suns are likely to buy him out, and the Miami Heat should make a move.
The Memphis Grizzlies made a move to attempt to rehabilitate Josh Jackson, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and sent Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter to the Phoenix Suns in the process. The Miami Heat are in the market for shooting, and they should keep an eye on developments with Korver in Phoenix.
The Suns will buy him out to facilitate their re-signing of Kelly Oubre. Korver’s $7.5 million 2019-20 salary is only guaranteed for $3.4 million, so the cap savings will allow them to pull this off.
Per Adrian Wojarnowski, Korver already has suitors in the buyout market:
Suns are planning to buyout the partially guaranteed contract of Kyle Korver, league sources tell ESPN. Lakers, Sixers and Bucks are frontrunners to sign Korver once he clears waivers, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2019
While the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are strong competitors for his services, the Miami Heat need to get in on the action. Korver shot 39.7 percent from 3-point range last season and shoots a remarkable 42.9 percent from long range for his career.
The Heat were a poor-shooting team last season, hitting just 34.9 percent of their 3-point attempts, which was good for 21st in the NBA.
Per Synergy, with the Utah Jazz last season, Korver scored 1.078 points per possession (PPP) on all jump shooting opportunities, good for the 83rd percentile, and he scored 1.123 PPP on all catch-and-shoot opportunities, good for the 71st percentile.
However, until the Heat get under the hard cap (which they’ll need to in order to fully comply with the NBA’s CBA after the Jimmy Butler trade), the only deals they can offer Korver will be in the form of veteran minimums. They may also hasten their decision to move or stretch Ryan Anderson‘s contract, which would indeed get them under the hard cap.
It’s going to be tough to beat out the Lakers, Sixers and Bucks, but this is an opportunity the Miami Heat need to at least take a shot at.