The Miami Heat have had a very quiet 2022 offseason thus far, but there is a veteran big man who may be worth keeping an eye on for Miami.
At least, that’s how one NBA executive sees it. The executive recently spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com and said that LaMarcus Aldridge would make sense for the Heat to add.
“Aldridge is 37 now, it would not be a surprise if he decided on retiring,” the executive told Deveney. “But he still can score. He still has some value out there. He would be a nice fit in Boston, just as a guy who can knock down some shots and step in when Rob Williams or [Al] Horford needs a break. [Milwaukee] Bucks and Heat, too. Every team in the East, at the top of the East. Miami needs that one piece, that one big guy to push them over the top. Aldridge could take some of P.J. Tucker’s minutes, though he is obviously not on the same level as a defender. But he can shoot it. Miami needs depth there. He’s not going to be a starter, but he can help.”
As the executive pointed out, if Aldridge were to join the Heat, he would likely help fill the void left by Tucker.
Tucker, who signed a three-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this offseason, was a major piece for the Heat last season. He will be sorely missed.
Last season, Aldridge played just 47 games during the regular season, but he was productive during that time. He averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 55.0 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 percent from beyond the arc.
While the offseason has been relatively quiet across the league, that can always change.
The Heat have already been linked to multiple big stars and seem determined to make positive changes before or during the 2022-23 season.
Whether or not Aldridge becomes a part of those changes remains to be seen.
