The Miami Heat may be reaching across the aisle to their biggest NBA rivals.
Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports reported this weekend that Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams is a player who is on the Heat’s trade radar. The 24-year-old Williams will be a restricted free agent after the season.
Williams is not a particularly well-liked opponent, especially by the Heat, who have faced him in the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. The former first-round pick is a mosquito of a player who loves getting underneath the skin of the opposition.
But by way of skillset, Williams would actually be a sharp fit on a Heat team that has had trouble replacing PJ Tucker at the 4. Williams is a versatile 6-foot-6 forward who fights and claws for extra possessions, blows up actions as a halfcourt defender, and cans his triples (shooting a career-best 45.8 percent from deep this season). That is exactly the kind of hard-working, blue-collar player that the Heat historically love.
At 11-12 on the year, Miami figures to be active ahead of the trade deadline in February. But if the Celtics decline to pick up the phone, the Heat could pursue a forward upgrade from another top team instead.
