In one of Bleacher Report’s latest, the publication dubbed the Miami Heat as a dark horse landing spot for forward Jerami Grant.
Even with the NBA sidelined, the national media has been continuing to cover and address the upcoming draft class and free-agent market. In his latest for Bleacher Report, Dan Favale suggested the Miami Heat as a “dark horse” landing spot for Jerami Grant.
The 26-year old forward is reportedly leaning toward declining his $9.3 million player option for next season. He’s certainly earned a pay raise since joining the Denver Nuggets, few will argue that. He’s averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 rebounds as a spot starter for the team this year.
Grant’s ability to knock down the three-ball is the biggest draw to his game. He’s connecting on 1.4 of 3.4 attempts from deep nightly, averaging out to a 40 percent shooting clip. This would be a welcome attribute to this Heat team, who are a top-10 three-point team this season.
Any deal with Grant would likely be a lucrative one-year deal, the only kind of contract Pat Riley and company will be in position to offer up after this season. With their eyes on the 2021 offseason and all the top names among it, they’re prioritizing cap space in the longterm.
Adding yet another shooter to this Heat team wouldn’t be the worst idea. Alpha dog Jimmy Butler is in the middle of a career-worst shootings lump, and may never regain his shot. Grant’s also a plus on the defensive end of the ball, a more than welcome quality on all 30 teams.
But would Miami take a legitimate interest? That much is hard to decipher at this point in the year. Grant’s teammate Paul Millsap seems like a more logical target for the Heat given his experience and the price tag he’ll be available for. But more on that here.
The Miami Heat will be looking for difference makers in free agency as they look to make another playoff run next season. A deal with Jerami Grant falls into that category assuredly, but whether there’s mutual interest between the two sides has yet to be seen.