Gabe Vincent certainly has made a name for himself helping the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals, and the guard also likely has played his way into a bigger contract as a free agent this offseason, with the Phoenix Suns reportedly interested in his services.
Vincent is just one of the players on the Suns’ radar, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.
“Phoenix does hold [New York] Knicks Sixth Man of the Year finalist Immanuel Quickley in high regard, sources told Yahoo Sports, dating back to Quickley’s entry in the 2020 NBA Draft,” NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote. “Payton Pritchard, the former first-round pick who fell out of Boston’s rotation, has several supporters in Phoenix’s front office, sources said, and is expected to feature prominently in the NBA’s general trade landscape this summer, when Pritchard becomes extension eligible. [Sacramento] Kings guard Davion Mitchell is another rookie-scale player who’s been on the Suns’ radar. Phoenix also monitored Washington table-setter Monte Morris and Miami guard Gabe Vincent, according to league sources.”
Vincent has been a valuable player for the Heat during their surprising run through the playoffs. The 26-year-old led them with 23 points in a Game 2 victory in the Finals against the Denver Nuggets, and he is averaging 13.6 points per game during the playoffs, behind only Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo among Miami players heading into Game 4 on Friday.
The California native has been especially important picking up the slack in the absence of Tyler Herro, who injured his hand in Game 1 of the first round and has not played since. An NBA scout told the Miami Herald that Vincent has performed his way into a bigger payday entering free agency this summer.
“I’ve gone from thinking this guy is a good $3 million backup to a $10 million, $11 million player; he’s worth that in today’s NBA,” the scout said of Vincent. “The guy has produced when it counts, and that’s what teams are looking for. He has risen to the occasion.”
One NBA executive reportedly said Vincent and teammate Max Strus have risen as high as the $15 million per season range. Miami does hold Bird Rights on both of the players.
The Suns’ need for Vincent or any of the others will ultimately depend on what the organization decides to do with veteran Chris Paul. Reports have said that Phoenix is looking at ways to move on from the 38-year-old in order to get out from under his large contract.
Phoenix is entering a new phase with new head coach Frank Vogel and could also move on from Deandre Ayton. The Suns are trying to improve their supporting cast around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant after being eliminated by the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs.
Paul certainly believes he can contribute to a team and recently said no one knows basketball better than him. If he takes his vast knowledge elsewhere, that could open up an interested bidder for Vincent this offseason.