With Kevin Durant officially off the table and the New York Knicks leading the race to land Donovan Mitchell, the Miami Heat's pursuit of talent may take a big turn.
Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra are actively looking to improve, and having Durant stay in Brooklyn only makes things more challenging in the Eastern Conference. Notably, there aren't that many options when it comes to available All-Stars.
Hayward Could Be On The Move
That's why the Heat could try and aim for a more feasible target in Gordon Hayward, as an unnamed league executive told Heavy's Sean Deveney that he could be up for grabs:
“I think a guy they will keep an eye on is Gordon Hayward,” the exec told Deveney. “Charlotte’s in a tough position with the (Miles) Bridges thing, they have (Steve) Clifford coming in, they’re in a position to rest things a little bit around LaMelo Ball. Hayward has two years left."The Heat Have Enough Assets
The Heat have been reluctant to sign Tyler Herro to a contract extension, so they could send him away with Omer Yurtseven and Duncan Robinson in a trade for Hayward:
“If you want to give up [Tyler] Herro before you pay him and you want to move [Duncan] Robinson, you would have to add a pick, but those two guys and Omer [Yurtseven], that might be enough to get Hayward if the Hornets decide to reconfigure," the executive added.It Gives The Heat A Boost
Needless to say, losing Herro would be a big blow, but it would make them instantly better, assuming Hayward is healthy once and for all:
"It’s a short-term move for Miami, but they need to make their move now. You can play him at the 3 and go big or go small at the 4. He’s a guy they’ve had interest in before," he concluded.He Nearly Joined The Heat
The Heat nearly signed Hayward back in 2017 before he joined the Boston Celtics. Even Hayward lauded Pat Riley's pitch and claimed that Spoelstra's system was a great fit for him:
“We actually broke it down and had like a point system of different pros and cons and on a weighted scale of different things that each city would represent and each team would represent, and Miami was always near the top of the rankings when we did it," Hayward said.He's no Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell, but he can definitely help them get over the hump.
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