Report: Miami Heat have targeted impressive power forward Jarred Vanderbilt - Heat Nation
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Report: Miami Heat have targeted impressive power forward Jarred Vanderbilt

Jarred Vanderbilt Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret that the Miami Heat didn’t upgrade their roster over the 2022 offseason.

Multiple teams around the league added star talent over the summer, but Miami wasn’t one of them. That fact has made the team’s 2-5 start extra frustrating for some fans.

However, the Heat are presumably always looking for ways to improve, and they could still make a splash on the trade market.

Jarred Vanderbilt is reportedly a name that the Heat “hoped to get Utah to give up,” though it’s unclear if Miami is still eyeing the 23-year-old.

“They’ve been quiet on that lately,” an executive told Heavy.com. “They looked at Jae Crowder. They hoped to get Utah to give up Jarred Vanderbilt—they want defense at that spot. They are not desperate, though. They want to see what they have with guys like Caleb Martin, see how he handles that spot.”

Vanderbilt is very young, but he’s already in his fifth NBA season. He’s currently in his first season with the Utah Jazz and is getting 24.7 minutes of action per contest.

So far with Utah, he’s averaging 8.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He’s shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from deep as he starts to add a 3-point shot to his bag.

He’d certainly be a nice addition for Miami, but again, it’s unclear if the team is pursuing him right now.

The Heat’s current roster looks a lot like last season’s. The 2021-22 Heat won 53 games in the regular season and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics.

Given what Miami accomplished last season, it’s reasonable to think this year’s squad has what it takes to make some noise in the East. However, even the 2021-22 Heat had flaws, and this season’s team arguably has more after losing P.J. Tucker.

For now, Miami will look to get its season on track with the players it currently has around. The Heat will get a chance to earn a statement victory on Tuesday, as they’ll host the Golden State Warriors for an exciting matchup.

The season is young, but the Heat would certainly prefer not to dig themselves a hole and then spend weeks trying to climb out of it.

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