Miami Heat Rumors: Jrue Holiday remains a trade target, James Johnson has little value and more 

The Miami Heat entered the 2019-20 season with renewed belief after completing an offseason move for Jimmy Butler, and Erik Spoelstra's team has been able to surpass expectations over the first four months of the campaign. While the Heat have suffered five defeats over their past 10 games, they still sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-15 record and remain on course to secure homecourt advantage for the playoffs.

While Pat Riley will be ecstatic with Miami's return to prominence, it is known that the Heat are among the most ambitious teams in the NBA, and moves are possible ahead of the trade deadline. So, with a week left to make moves, here we will take a look at all the latest Miami rumors you need to know.

---

#1 Heat remain interested in Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday is among the big names being linked with the Pelicans

With the New Orleans Pelicans struggling to stay in the race for the playoffs, Jrue Holiday was first mentioned as a potential trade target for the Heat in late-2019. During a recent edition of 'Inside Pass' Shams Charania of The Athletic confirmed that Miami remains interested in signing the point guard, although the Pelicans are demanding a hefty price:

"Denver and Miami are among interested teams in Holiday and several others are expected to emerge, according to sources. Multiple teams told The Athletic that the Pelicans are listening to trade calls for anyone on the roster, but their asking price remains high on Holiday."

Following four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Holiday was traded to the Pelicans back in 2014, and the 29-year-old has since established himself as one of the NBA's most consistent guards. Over 40 appearances this season, Holiday has averaged 19.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest.

#2 James Johnson still has little trade value

James Johnson recently returned to the Miami rotation

Over the first half of the season, James Johnson spent less than 60 minutes on the court. Nevertheless, the veteran has been restored to Miami's rotation since the turn of the year, and Johnson notably dropped 22-points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field against the Sacramento Kings.

Johnson's resurgence has led to renewed optimism that the Heat would be able to offload the final year of his contract ($15.8 million for the 20-21 season), although Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel is reporting that Johnson is generating little interest on the trade market:

"It's not as if dormant interest can be rekindled, even with James Johnson creating notable moments. To outside teams, James and Dion (Waiters) likely are viewed as little more than contracts with a season and a half remaining."

Over his last 10 appearances, Johnson has averaged 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.7 minutes per game. The 32-year-old is also shooting 35.3 percent from beyond the arc.

#3 Trading Kelly Olynyk and Meyers Leonard would help the Heat avoid the luxury tax

Kelly Olynyk is among Miami's highest earners

With the trade deadline approaching the Heat remain in the luxury tax. While it is unknown if the front office will attempt to make salary cutting moves ahead of the deadline, Ira Winderman has suggested that Kelly Olynyk and Meyers Leonard are among the candidates that could be traded due to their expensive deals:

"The most logical approach would be trading Kelly Olynyk ($12.7 million) or Meyers Leonard ($11.3 million) for a player making sufficiently less to realize the needed savings to avoid the (luxury) tax."

Olynyk has made 42 appearances for the Heat this season, averaging just 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. However, the 28-year-old has connected with 40.3 percent of his three-point attempts.

Meanwhile, Leonard has played 47 times, averaging 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. The former Portland man has shot 52.4 percent from the field, while also connecting with 42.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc.