Should P.J. Tucker ultimately decides to leave this summer, the Miami Heat are reportedly targeting two serviceable forwards to fill his spot.
Per Ira Winderman of the South Florida-Sun Sentinel, the Heat will have their eyes set on Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder and T.J. Warren of the Indiana Pacers once Tucker becomes non-existent on their radar.
“Should the Heat lose out on Tucker, the team, according to an NBA source, is considering either a trade for former Heat power forward Jae Crowder, who is entering the final year of a contract that pays $10.2 million next season with the Phoenix Suns, or a possible free-agent move for Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren.”
The Heat are currently focused to regain Tucker and expected to offer a fully-guaranteed three-year, $27M deal, but these two mentioned veterans seems good enough on paper to become his replacement.
Crowder was already a former member of the Heat, acquired in a mid-season trade with Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019-2020 season. Using his marksmanship and defensive versatility, he helped the club to go for a Finals run in the league’s resumption within the Disney Bubble.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Warren has been a reliable scoring presence in the wing, but will be a risky candidate considering he didn’t play for the whole 2021-2022 season due to a nagging foot injury.
As such, current rumblings suggest that Tucker is likely to be headed in the Philadelphia 76ers for a three-year, $30 million contract.
