After the successful acquisition of Victor Oladipo, Trevor Ariza, and Nemanja Bjelica before the 2021 trade deadline, the Miami Heat shifted their attention to the buyout market to search for more roster upgrades. One of the areas that they are currently trying to improve is their frontcourt. When he parted ways with the San Antonio Spurs and became a free agent, the Heat were heavily linked to veteran center LaMarcus Aldridge. Unfortunately, instead of taking his talent to South Beach, Aldridge chose to sign a veteran minimum deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
Why LaMarcus Aldridge Chose Nets Over Heat
In a Twitter post, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald revealed why Aldridge signed with the Nets despite being originally expected to join the heat. Jackson said that Aldridge chose the Nets because they have a better chance of winning the 2021 NBA championship title than the Heat.
“I asked Aldridge associate what changed his mind from original expectation that he would sign with Heat, which was expected by the Heat. He said was convinced to join Brooklyn because they are in a good position to compete for a championship,” Jackson said. “Heat recent losing streak didn’t help.”
Heat’s Plan B After Failing To Acquire LaMarcus Aldridge
Luckily for the Heat, though Aldridge has already agreed to ink a deal with the Nets, there are still plenty of interesting big men who are currently available on the buyout market, including veteran center DeMarcus Cousins. A month after being waived by the Houston Rockets, Cousins is yet to be signed as an unrestricted free agent. It may not be possible for Cousins to fully regain his All-Star form this season but if he could prove that he’s 100 percent healthy, Kenneth Wilson of Fansided’s All U Can Heat believes that the Heat should strongly consider bringing him to South Beach.
Signing DeMarcus Cousins Makes A Lot Of Sense For Heat
If they still want to improve their frontcourt depth, the Heat should indeed take a chance on Cousins. When healthy, Cousins could offer a similar skillset as Aldridge. Aside from being a dominant force under the basket, Cousins is also capable of spacing the floor and has a good on-court vision.
In 25 games he played this season, the 30-year-old center averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 37.6 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
DeMarcus Cousins Could Serve As Bam Adebayo’s Frontcourt Partner Or Primary Backup
If they succeed to sign Cousins on the buyout market, the Heat are expected to use him as the primary backup for franchise center Bam Adebayo. However, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra could also experiment utilizing him as Adebayo’s frontcourt partner if he decides to use a bigger lineup.
Though Cousins spent the past seasons playing at the center position, he’s also capable of excelling at the No. 4 spot. With his ability to shoot the ball from the three-point range, he wouldn’t have a hard time sharing the Heat’s frontcourt with Adebayo.
