The Miami Heat have been connected to a number of NBA stars this offseason, and the latest addition to that list appears to be Portland Trail Blazers sharpshooter C.J. McCollum.
Based on a recent report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, it appears that McCollum has been a fan of the Heat for quite some time.
Jackson was discussing the Heat’s possible options for the 2020 and 2021 offseasons depending on whether or not they end up acquiring Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook.
“The Heat loves [Bradley] Beal — a UF (University of Florida) grad and longtime admirer of Dwyane Wade — and is expected to be a serious contender for him in 2021 if he doesn’t sign an extension with Washington,” wrote Jackson. “Though McCollum has never given any indication he wants to leave Portland and easily could finish his career there, an associate insists he also holds the Heat and South Florida in high regard. [Victor] Oladipo would be another likely target.”
McCollum has spent his entire career with the Blazers and has spent much of it being overshadowed by teammate Damian Lillard. That does not mean that McCollum doesn’t have the skills to be the face of a franchise.
Last season, he averaged 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
While it doesn’t seem likely that McCollum will end up in South Florida anytime soon, it’s certainly good to know that he has identified the Heat as a fantastic organization.
Luckily for the Heat, even if they do ultimately trade for Westbrook, there will be some financial flexibility once McCollum becomes a free agent in the summer of 2021.
