Miami Heat: 3 forwards to target in free agency this offseason
By Jack Simone
Forwards the Miami Heat could sign: Ersan Ilyasova
Ersan Ilyasova hasn’t played much in recent years but could carve out a solid role for himself with the Miami Heat. His shooting would be a huge boost off the bench in South Beach.
The ability to space the floor is something the Miami Heat have lacked ever since they traded Kelly Olynyk. Though Ilyasova is not the player Olynyk is, he could be a decent replacement option.
At 34 years old, Ilyasova is well past his prime. At this point in his career, he will likely be limited on both ends of the floor, but could still provide some decent end-of-the-bench minutes.
Last season, Ilyasova played in 17 games with the Jazz, averaging only 8.7 minutes per game. Though he only scored 3.8 points per contest, he shot a whopping 43.9% from deep on 2.4 attempts per game.
He has shot 36.7% from deep over the course of his career. Ilyasova is probably not good enough to earn rotational minutes, but if the Miami Heat need someone to space the floor he would be nice to have on the roster.
Signing Ilyasova on a minimum contract to come off the bench in a limited role wouldn’t be a bad idea. There likely won’t be a large market for him, so he could be a safety net for the Miami Heat.