The Miami Heat still have one roster spot to sort out, and the search sounds like it’s centered on a veteran guard who can give them a steady hand behind Davion Mitchell.
Miami has already been connected to several names, with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney reporting that the Heat have considered “veteran backups Gabe Vincent and Cam Payne, but would prefer to find someone with a better upside. They do need a placeholder for that spot, though,” Deveney wrote.
Another name in the mix is D’Angelo Russell. Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman pointed to him as a possible target and noted the Heat could choose to hold their flexibility for later.
“There also is something to be said about running with what you have at the moment, while still having a salary slot/roster spot available for a rainy day. Then it becomes about when to pounce, be it on D’Angelo Russell potentially coming free before camp or waiting for something bigger down the road,” Winderman wrote.
Russell is currently with the Memphis Grizzlies, though that situation appears unsettled. Heavy.com’s Justin Grasso reported that the two sides are expected to work toward “a resolution at “some point this offseason.””
Grasso added that the best outcome for Memphis would be to move Russell via trade, but if that doesn’t happen, the Grizzlies could waive him after a buyout agreement. “The ex-Laker could be a free agent sometime soon,” Grasso wrote.
That’s the part Miami will be watching. Russell has played for several teams over the course of his career, and the source article described him as a key piece for the Los Angeles Lakers a few years ago. If he does hit the market, the Heat could shift their attention quickly and treat him as a potential backup answer for Mitchell.
For now, the final spot remains open, and Miami appears to be weighing the safest veteran option against the possibility of waiting for a bigger name to shake loose.
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In a Sixth Man of the Year race, though, sharing the spotlight can be its own complication. Miami could wind up with two legitimate candidates from the same roster, which creates the possibility of vote splitting, even if both players are good enough to make a strong case on their own. For a team that just reshaped its outlook around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the bigger question may be whether the bench production is strong enough to matter, not just who gets the credit for it. [Read more 🡒]