After their surprise berth in the NBA Finals this season, the Miami Heat now appear to have a free agent upgrade in mind.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Monday that the Heat are expected to have interest in Denver Nuggets forward Jerami Grant this offseason. Grant is expected to decline his $9.3 million player option for next season, and Jackson notes that the Heat have a $9.3 million midlevel exception to offer.
Jackson also says though that the Heat are unlikely to offer any free agent more than one year, which would hurt their chances with Grant. Fellow Nuggets forward Paul Millsap and LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris are also mentioned as possible targets for Miami with their midlevel exception.
Grant, 26, really raised his profile during Denver’s playoff run in the bubble. He played excellent defense on stars like Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. He also shot 38.9 percent from three this season for the Nuggets.
For Miami, they relied on heavy minutes from Jae Crowder this postseason. He is also a free agent though, and soon-to-be 37-year-old Andre Iguodala is nearing the end of his NBA career. We know that Miami made a very strong impression on the league with their Finals run and may enter next season with even more motivation. Whether that is enough to lure someone like Grant out of more money elsewhere remains to be seen.
