NBA Rumors: 3 Players that are currently being linked with the Miami Heat

Following a storied career, Dwyane Wade's time in Miami has finally come to an end. Wade enjoyed an excellent final season, averaging 15.0 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, and the 37-year-old's performances were so influential that he had to ignore calls to extend his career. Nevertheless, the Miami Heat now face a daunting future without their long-time superstar.

Miami has continued to trend in the wrong direction since LeBron James left back in 2014, winning just one playoff game in the past three seasons, and despite playing in an-historically weak Eastern Conference this season, the Heat could only manage a 10th place finish.

With Wade now gone, the Heat may finally pull the trigger and make much-needed changes to an underwhelming roster, and here are three players that are being linked with a move to Miami.

---

#3 JR Smith

JR Smith has not played since November

After publicly criticizing the direction of the Cavs, J.R. Smith has found himself exiled since November. The veteran played just 11 times during the 18/19 season, and Smith has been instructed to find a new team.

Evidently, Smith is not a player who can help usher in a new era in Miami, although Ryan Yousefi of the Miami New Times suggests that trading Smith could help speed up the roster rebuild:

The Heat could deal this year's first-round pick to a team such as the Cleveland Cavaliers. That would expedite the Heat's improvement. Cashing in the first-round pick for salary-cap relief would be a semi-reset button the Heat badly needs.

Although Smith is owed $15.7 million for the 2019-20 campaign, he’s only guaranteed $3.8 million. So the Heat could send James Johnson and Dion Waiters to the Cavs for Smith, then turn around and release the former Knick for next-to-nothing owed. It's worth exploring, especially for a team that has signed players off the street, then turned them into something unexpected.

#2 Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward has struggled during his two years with the Celtics

Gordon Hayward has endured a miserable two years in Boston, although there are still some around the league that believe that he could rekindle the form he showed during his time with the Jazz.

In order to land Hayward, the Heat would need to include Hassan Whiteside or Goran Dragic in a potential trade, and Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel suggests a deal could happen due to the Celtics' desire to offload the remaining two years of Hayward's contract

The Heat, of course, were one of three free-agency finalists for the former Utah forward that year (2017). The question now, getting beyond whether the Heat would even have the commensurate trade chips, is the $32.7 million owed Hayward next season and his player option for $34.2 million in 2020-21.

While the preferred approach from the Celtics likely would be a big-ticket player in return such as Anthony Davis, a trade for Hassan Whiteside or Goran Dragic, or both, could get Boston off Hayward's money a year earlier.

Hayward played 72 times this season, averaging 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

#1 Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin would be a huge pickup for the struggling Miami franchise

After suffering from persistent injuries over the past five years, many around the NBA had written off Blake Griffin's days as an All-Star. However, during his first full season in Detroit, Griffin averaged 24.5 points, and 7.5 rebounds per game -- securing his first All-Star call-up since 2015.

However, the Pistons once again fell short of their ambitions to challenge in the East, and Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has suggested that Griffin be a Miami trade target:

If Miami Heat president Pat Riley sniffs a hint of desperation from the Motor City, he’ll pounce to land one of his coveted white whales. Naturally, he’ll also try to do so at a discount. As good as Griffin looked this season—he’ll find himself on more than a few MVP ballots—he’s still wildly expensive and has a frightening injury history.

Griffin is currently signed to a five-year, $173 million contract, so his arrival would depend on the Heat's ability to offload Hassan Whiteside.