NBA Rumors: Jarred Vanderbilt being targeted by Miami Heat

In recent NBA rumors, the Miami Heat have shown interest in acquiring Jarred Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz. With Miami in search of a solid wing player, Vanderbilt emerges as an ideal fit for the Eastern Conference giants.

The Miami Heat have been on the lookout for wing players since early in the offseason. While they have made significant efforts towards acquiring talent, the Heat have come up short in this venture for the most part.

The Heat's pursuit of a solid 3&D player has seen the team linked to several players. However, the latest addition to this list happens to be Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt is a former Minnesota Timberwolves forward who joined the Jazz via trade. He was packaged alongside Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley for Rudy Gobert. In the process of doing so, Utah acquired a fairly talented set of players along with draft capital.

While Miami haven't been as active since the rumors about their pursuit of Jae Crowder emerged, an Eastern Conference executive mentioned Miami's interest in Vanderbilt. In a conversation with Heavy.com's Sean Deveney, the exec said:

"They’ve been quiet on that lately. 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."

The Miami Heat have shown keen interest in acquiring forwards. With players such as Kyle Kuzma, Lauri Markkanen and Jae Crowder showing up on their radar, the Heat are in need of some depth at the position.

In this regard, Jarred Vanderbilt ticks a lot of boxes. The primary aspect of interest is his defensive upside. However, with Miami currently playing Caleb Martin in the power forward position, the Heat will be patient with pursuing new players.

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The Miami Heat are looking to build up their roster strength

Miami Heat v Golden State Warriors

In a conversation with Heavy.com's Sean Deveney, the Eastern Conference exec also mentioned that the Miami Heat aren't focused on just acquiring a power forward. While the general requirement does see the Heat in need of a solid four, this isn't exactly a priority.

Players such as Kyle Kuzma and Jae Crowder have repeatedly popped up on the radar. However, the executive mentioned that the Heat have also shown interest in players such as Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier.

With Richardson and Rozier in mind, Miami could be interested in adding serious offensive firepower to their roster. Unfortunately, trading for these pieces could also be a task at it would force the Heat to give up draft capital - especially to a team like the San Antonio Spurs.

In terms of the power forward position, the Heat have already come up short in negotiations with the Phoenix Suns. With Phoenix rejecting Miami's offer for Jae Crowder, the Heat are in a bit of a tough spot. However, keeping a close on Heat rookie Nikola Jovic's development could be worthwhile in this span of time.