The Miami Heat should return healthier than they were before the suspension. If they do need to get a guy off the street though, these 3 guys are already familiar.
The Miami Heat will look to compete for their fourth possible NBA Championship as the season resumes in Orlando, Florida. While Bam Adebayo seems to indicate that all Miami Heat players will be ready to play, despite some chatter around the NBA players circle about not playing, that isn’t the only thing that could prevent them from showing.
Bam Adebayo, "We're the Miami Heat, I don't think anybody is sitting out." He said the union is working on insurance for those on the verge of significant contract extensions.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) June 16, 2020
While the security of future contracts has also come up and definitely is an issue worth looking into sorting out and locking down with clarity before hopping back onto the court, that in itself either isn’t a reason why the Miami Heat and other NBA teams may be looking for replacement guys.
That is a nice segue to the actual reasons though. With such a long layoff and the heighten chanced of injury that comes with it all, nevermind the increased opportunity for the contraction of coronavirus with people coming in from all over, the need to be able to replace guys is something that every team must keep in mind as we focus our attention on the Orlando bubble city.
When you are the Miami Heat though, with the current particular set of guys that are on the market, you do have some sort of relief you can look to. While it may not be anything that you would bet the farm on, there are three guys on the market that are already a bit familiar with how they operate.
Hopefully, the Miami Heat remain healthy as they look to make a run in Orlando. If they don’t though, these three guys are already familiar with Miami.
Norris Cole
Norris Cole is a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat and sits available on the free-agent market. Although he is currently listed on the active roster for the French League’s ASVEL, if any NBA team wanted him and especially the Miami Heat, it could happen.
He last played in the NBA during the 2016-17 season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he wasn’t stellar, although only suiting up for 13 games. If the Miami Heat need to grab a guy, NoCo wouldn’t be a bad look.
Tyler Johnson
Traded to the Suns during the 2018-19 season, Tyler Johnson was simply a player who was underplaying his deal. It isn’t his fault though, as the Miami Heat matched a bloated offer to keep him around in the first place.
In any situation, Johnson now sits without a team after playing in just 31 games for the Suns this year. Although there is some reported interest by the Houston Rockets, he’s still on the market as of now and wouldn’t be a bad look at the right price either.
Mario Chalmers
We talked about this already recently, but it is still worth another mention. Declaring that he was ready for the call, Mario Chalmers is sitting on the free-agent market as well.
A smart, heady, veteran guard who has been trusted in big moments before, you can certainly do worst than him in a bind as a depth option on your bench.
Hopefully, everyone remains in perfect health throughout the entirety of this Orlando experiment. If they don’t though, here are three former Miami Heat guards that are just sitting on the free-agent market.