Getty Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives to the basket against Montrezl Harrell #6 of the Washington Wizards
Because the Miami Heat have been wrapped up in potential trade for Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, the franchise hasn’t added another player to next year’s squad besides Nikola Jovic through the NBA draft. Miami lost a key player in PJ Tucker to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency and still need to fill that slot.
So far, Haywood Highsmith has mentioned he believes he can fill the role, but the Heat will likely look to other veteran players to do so starting out. LaMarcus Aldridge, while he may not start for the Heat, has been murmured about. John Collins is another player that Miami has been linked to in his time on the trading block for the Atlanta Hawks. However, a name that has been talked about previously for the Heat has resurfaced, and that is Montrezl Harrell.
Heat Linked Again to Montrezl Harrell
Earlier this summer, the Heat were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Harrell in a Bleacher Report article, but soon after the article was released, Harrell was charged for trafficking marijuana (less than 5 pounds) this offseason. Entering free agency, Harrell was expected to be one of the most sought-after big man, but his arrest has kept him unsigned, and teams have been hesitant to negotiate with him so far.
Recently in an article affiliated with Sports Illustrated, the question was raised about Should The Miami Heat Sign Montrezl Harrell? Harrell, after everything this offseason is a gamble but is likely a player teams are looking at following his court decision.
Originally Harrell was scheduled for a July 13 court appearance, but the hearing was continued and will take place on August 10. Following that, depending on how it goes expect there to be a bidding war for teams looking to add to their front court.
Harrell averaged a combined 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and shot 64.5% from the floor last season and has previously one NBA awards like the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020.
NBA Executive Names Heat as Landing Spot For Harrell
Harrell was linked to the Heat again earlier this offseason when an unnamed NBA executive shared with Heavy’s Sean Deveney that the Heat are a team to look out for as a landing spot for Montrezl Harrell.
“Miami would be one team to look out for. Especially if they make a big move and they have a lot of roster holes that need to be filled on the cheap late in the summer,” the exec said. “They need another big guy either way. He could be sitting there. It depends on if the case goes away or what,” the executive told Deveney.
If the uncertainty around Harrell’s case is figured out and the big man is deemed a suitable acquisition, the Heat would be a great landing spot for him. Harrell’s tough-nose style of play would fit in well in Miami, and he could likely come in and hit the ground running. He doesn’t fill in totally for the loss of Tucker, but he does bring an immediate impact on the boards for the Heat as well as a high motor guy in their frontcourt.