The Miami Heat are rolling right now, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t looking to upgrade their roster.
They’re apparently interested in Naz Reid, Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl, according to recent reports from Ethan Skolnick and Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports Network.
Miami is currently 24-20 and sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, having won seven of its last 10 games. It is also on a three-game winning streak after beating the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Thursday and Saturday.
Despite putting together some solid wins, the Heat seem to be looking to add a piece to their frontcourt in order to help out Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin.
It makes sense as to why the Heat are apparently targeting players in the frontcourt. After all, the Heat lack size in that department and rank 26th in the league in rebounds per game. Martin, who is 6-foot-5, has been starting at power forward for most of the season alongside Adebayo.
He has done a pretty solid job in his new role, but the Heat might be better served having his intense energy on offense and defense off the bench, a role in which he flourished in last season.
What could Naz Reid bring to the Miami Heat?
The 23-year-old center has spent the entirety of his professional career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and would add a powerful threat to the Heat’s frontcourt. Reid is currently averaging 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in just 17.8 minutes per game for the Timberwolves this season.
He can score the ball in plenty of ways, including from beyond the arc (34.6 percent shooter from deep for his career), and is a solid rebounder. He’s really improved his touch around the basket since coming into the league. The Louisiana State University product is also a decent defender that averages 0.9 blocks per game for his career.
Reid would be a very interesting fit alongside Adebayo in the starting lineup. He’s set to become a free agent after this season, so the Heat may be able to get away with parting with little assets in exchange for acquiring Reid.
What could Kelly Olynyk bring to the Miami Heat?
Plenty of Heat fans remember Olynyk from his time with the Heat from 2017 to 2021. He continues to be the same type of player for the Utah Jazz.
In a starting role for the Jazz this season, he is averaging 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while knocking down 50.3 percent of his shots from the field and 41.3 percent of his attempts from downtown.
Heat fans know what Olynyk brings to the table: solid shooting and playmaking. While he may not be the defender that Martin is, putting him into the starting lineup would help a Heat offense that ranks last in the league in points per game. His creativity would definitely help the Heat score some more.
Furthermore, plenty of the Heat’s personnel remain the same from when he was traded to the Houston Rockets, so it likely wouldn’t take long for him to readjust to life in South Florida.
What could Jakob Poeltl bring to the Miami Heat?
The San Antonio Spurs center is arguably having the best season of the three Heat targets. He’s putting up 12.3 points, 9,4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while hitting 63.2 percent of his shots from the field.
He isn’t a threat at all from beyond the arc, but having him down low would certainly make Adebayo stretch out his game even more. The University of Kentucky product continues to get more and more comfortable in a lead role on offense for the Heat.
Poeltl would also bring a solid rim protector (1.2 blocks per game this season) to the Heat. While Adebayo is great at protecting the rim, he’s typically out defending on the perimeter after switching onto smaller opponents.
The issue with acquiring Poeltl is his price. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that the Spurs could get some “real significant offers” for the Austrian big man.
Only time will tell if the Heat end up acquiring any of the three big men.
