At this point, how could the Miami Heat not be interested in Kevin Porter Jr.?
Even though the Heat have somewhat started to right the ship to a certain extent, winning four of their last six games, the struggles of Andrew Wiggins and, more specifically, Tim Hardaway Jr. continue to weigh down any progress they feel like they're making.
Through 10 games this season, Hardaway Jr. is averaging a career-low 4.6 points on 24 percent shooting from the 3-point range. Wiggins hasn't been much better, averaging eight points on 31 percent shooting from deep.
And honestly, it's not all that shocking. Many are quick to pile on the Heat's issues, but when you roll out two players who were supposed to be key contributors and they're basically giving you nothing, you shouldn't be surprised that a team isn't getting consistent winning results.
That's where the Heat find themselves with Wiggins and Hardaway Jr. At some point, something has to give. Wiggins and Hardaway Jr. need to break out of their funk, or the Heat will need to look elsewhere to find much-needed contributions.
The Heat might be interested in signing Kevin Porter Jr.
According to a recent report from NBA insider Jake Fischer, perhaps looking elsewhere could come in the way of Porter Jr. Fischer notes that the Heat have "shown interest" in Porter Jr.
It's tough to say how much interest they've shown in Porter Jr., or how willing they'd be to make such a move this early in the season, but if Hardaway Jr. and Wiggins continue to struggle offensively, the Heat may be forced into such a desperate gamble.
It'd be easy to dismiss such a signing with the simple fact that if the Heat were to sign Porter Jr., it'd be a move that could hurt the team's overall defensive capabilities. I'd push back against that argument, saying that it's not like Wiggins and Hardaway Jr. are giving them much on that end of the floor right now anyway.
And if Porter Jr. can come in and give the Heat a consistent offensive threat and perhaps even some playmaking, they'd have to think very hard about rolling the dice. Even though he's a free agent at the moment, Porter Jr. averaged 17 points and seven assists last season in Milwaukee.
He's a streaky shooter on offense, but he could emerge as an intriguing option for a sixth man, especially now that Miami has moved Pelle Larsson into the starting lineup. Porter Jr. taking command of the Heat's second unit, giving him the freedom to create on offense, could be an intriguing possibility for Miami.
Again, I'm not sure if that's something the Heat is desperate enough to explore at the moment, but there's no question that the more Hardaway Jr. and Wiggins struggle, the more they'd have to consider the move.
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