
The Miami Heat may be in the market to add to their slowly developing unit.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević has been floated in league conversations after reportedly being viewed as an unattractive option, opening the door for a possible buyout rather than an actual trade.
“There hasn’t been much of a market for Nikola Vucevic dating back to the last trade deadline,” NBA insider Jake Fischer said on a Bleacher Report livestream. “I think at this juncture, we’re probably more likely to see a Nikola Vucevic buyout midseason than we are to see a trade.”
The Heat could use Vucevic in their starting lineup, as he’s still a solid scorer even at age 34. He averaged 18.5 points last season, shooting 53 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range. Vucevic could help boost the Heat’s offensive unit, one of the worst among postseason contenders. Pairing him beside Bam Adebayo would finally give them a true center and slide Adebayo to the four. This not only gives Miami multiple high-level scorers in the starting lineup but allows Adebayo to hone in on his defensive tasks.
Vucevic is still a double-double machine who can consistently get buckets in the paint and on the perimeter. He is also a reliable option, having played at least 70 games in each of the last five seasons.