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Recent rumors have seen the Miami Heat linked to the Phoenix Suns as they look to trade for Jae Crowder. While Miami's interest in Crowder is well documented, the Suns are rumored to have rejected the offer. The Heat have made an offer that includes sharpshooter Duncan Robinson.
The Miami Heat have been in pursuit of a solid 3&D forward since the offseason. With PJ Tucker's departure, the Heat faced a massive shortfall in the forward position. To address this issue, Miami opted to acquire some new talent.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns saw their forward, Jae Crowder, fall out with the team prior to the start of training camp. Considering that the Suns were also hoping to move in a different direction, the organization agreed to facilitate a trade for the forward.
The Heat's need for a stretch forward is well documented. In this regard, their interest in Jae Crowder has also been validated. Unfortunately, the Suns reportedly rejected the Heat's offer for Crowder.
In a conversation with Heavy.com's Sean Deveney, an Eastern Conference executive said:
"They’ve tried to see what’s there for Duncan Robinson but there really is not much of a market unless you get a team willing to play him for a year and try to flip his contract next summer.”
"They tried with Phoenix for Jae Crowder, but Phoenix did not want Robinson.”
In a report written by Heavy.com's Thomas Darro, the Heat have been pursuing power forwards to fill out their roster. However, with Miami's intentions to offload Duncan Robinson, the Heat have had some difficulty with fulfilling a trade.
Robinson being mentioned in trade negotiations is also an aspect of Phoenix's desire for a rotation player rather than draft capital. While the Heat forward could be an ideal fit in Phoenix, he hasn't been at the top of his game as of late.
With Cam Johnson's development, the Phoenix Suns have obtained a template of what they need going forward. Unfortunately, with Robinson's form in mind, the Suns' decision to reject the offer makes sense.
The Miami Heat have other assets to make a move
Sean Deveney's interview with the Eastern Conference executive also revealed more about the Miami Heat's current assets. While Duncan Robinson is one asset that the Heat have tried to offload, they also have a valuable piece in Caleb Martin at the moment.
Miami have attempted to solve some of their roster issues by having Martin play in the starting rotation. While he has done a solid job thus far, the Miami Heat will need to be more competitive.
Unfortunately, due to contract restrictions, Martin won't be traded until January. This raises some issues for team as they pursue Jae Crowder.
However, Miami have also made a solid addition to their roster by drafting sharpshooting Serbian Nikola Jovic this season. Although the rookie has been suspended for his recent actions, the Miami Heat will keep a close eye on his development and potential for growth.
Outside of the Jae Crowder trade spectrum, the Heat have also shown interest in Kyle Kuzma, PJ Washington and Taj Gibson. While the door on Crowder may be shut temporarily, Miami could be better served by turning their attention elsewhere.
Guess the Lakers players!
