A new report indicates that the Miami Heat are “lurking” in potential trade talks with the Utah Jazz, who have spent the offseason overhauling their roster.
Tony Jones, who covers the Jazz for The Athletic, pointed out on “The Drive with Spence Checketts” podcast that the main sticking point in any trade talks may be the contract of Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson.
“Miami has been lurking,” Jones said. “But in order to do a trade with Miami, the Jazz would probably have to take back Duncan Robinson, and that’s just a really, really, really bad contract because there’s three years left on it, four years left on it, actually. So that’s just a really tough contract for the Jazz to take back.”
Exactly who the Heat might be pursuing on the Jazz is uncertain. However, there has been reported interest from other teams in veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns prominently mentioned.
The 33-year-old Bogdanovic would offer the Heat a player who’s connected on 39.2 percent of his 3-point shots during the course of his NBA career. He’s got one year left on a contract that will pay him a little more than $19 million for the upcoming campaign.
Other possible trade candidates may include guards Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley. Yet, one possible drawback in trade talks could be that the Jazz are reportedly seeking first-round picks for each of Bogdanovic, Clarkson and Beasley.
One final possibility could be another veteran guard for the Jazz, Mike Conley. The problem there is that Conley turns 35 next month and has a contract that will pay him $22.7 million for the upcoming season and $24.4 million for the 2023-24 campaign.
Robinson was an undrafted free agent who first signed with the Heat in 2018. He’d shown enough promise that the Heat rewarded him last year with a new five-year deal worth $90 million.
However, the 28-year-old Robinson saw his numbers drop last season, including in one department that had been one of his main selling points. He connected on 37.2 percent of his 3-pointers last year after he managed to connect on 40.8 percent of his attempts during the 2020-21 season.
Given the Jazz’s focus on stockpiling future assets in their previous deals this offseason, it’s uncertain how eager they are to take on a contract like Robinson’s.
The Heat had been rumored to be pursuing a possible deal for former Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. One later report indicated that the Heat never made an offer for Mitchell, who was ultimately dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After coming agonizingly close to a berth in the 2022 NBA Finals, the Heat are seemingly staying aggressive in an effort to take that next step.
