The Miami Heat made a big decision earlier this week when they agreed to a four-year, $130 million rookie contract extension with Tyler Herro. That not only locks him in long-term to remain in South Beach, but it means that the Heat will not be allowed to trade him this NBA season either.
Miami had been involved in plenty of trade rumors this offseason as they looked to bring in another All-Star player. Herro was the centerpiece of those trade talks and with him now off the table, it will be difficult for the Heat to pull off any deals. But, that doesn’t mean that they are going to stop trying.
Pat Riley is always willing to make a move if he feels that it will get the team closer to winning a championship. This is a roster capable of contending, but there is a glaring hole at the power forward position. P.J. Tucker left in free agency, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving Miami shorthanded in the frontcourt.
Luckily for them, there is a player available that would fill that void in Jae Crowder of the Phoenix Suns. Crowder requested a trade from the team after it became evident that his role would be diminished as they want to expand the playing time of Cam Johnson. As a result, Crowder did not report to camp as the team agreed that was the right thing to do as they work on making a trade.
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The feeling is mutual when it comes to the Heat, as Crowder would love to play there. He was part of the team that went to the NBA Finals in the Orlando Bubble in 2020 before he signed with the Suns as a free agent.
Alas, acquiring him will have some hurdles. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Suns would have to take back Duncan Robinson to complete a deal for Crowder. Taking on that contract is something Jackson believes is tough to envision occurring.
That should come as no surprise that the Suns have no interest in bringing back Robinson. He signed a huge five-year, $90 million deal as a restricted free agent last season and followed that up with the worst shooting season of his career.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns & Miami Heat Updates
When he isn’t knocking down 3-pointers at a high clip, there is very little use for Robinson on the court. His defense leaves a lot to be desired and the Heat removing him from their starting lineup at the end of the regular season and eventually the rotation altogether in the postseason is all you need to know about his standing with the franchise.
Robinson was being packed with Herro the last few months in trade talks but nothing came to fruition. It sounds as if Miami is going to continue trying to pawn Robinson off for an upgrade to their frontcourt, but it will likely cost them draft compensation as well as he has three years and $54,462,000 guaranteed remaining. The final season of his contract is a player option worth $19,888,000.
