NBA Rumors: After Landing Andre Iguodala, Miami Heat Aim To Snag Danilo Gallinari Next
The Miami Heat already made one big move ahead of the NBA trade deadline by landing Andre Iguodala, and they are reportedly aiming for at least one more before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline hits.
As the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported, the Heat had planned to take an aggressive stance in landing the much-coveted Iguodala, who was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The Heat agreed to a two-year, $30 million extension with the former Golden State Warriors champion, the report noted.
Though Iguodala is 36, he will come with a fresh set of legs as he was given permission by the Memphis Grizzlies to sit out until they could find a trade partner.
The Heat still have more moves ahead, the report suggested. The team is also trying to land Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Twitter, the Heat see themselves as a potential title contender, prompting the aggressive stance ahead of the deadline. Miami stands at fourth in the Eastern Conference at 34-15, part of a tightly bunched group of teams ahead of the conference frontrunner Milwaukee Bucks.
But landing Gallinari could be tricky, as ESPN suggested that the Thunder may be planning to stand pat the rest of the way. The report added that Gallinari’s contract could also make it more difficult to trade him during the regular season, making him a more likely candidate for a sign-and-trade during the offseason.
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That could change if the Heat were to make an enticing enough offer, the report noted, especially if it could add more future assets to the still-rebuilding team.
“The Thunder have a track record as practical, cool thinkers,” the report noted.
“They are a cinch to make the playoffs almost regardless of what they do at the deadline. I doubt they would let the possibility of falling from No. 5/6/7 to No. 7/8 preclude them from acquiring more assets in their rebuild.”
The Thunder moved into a rebuild in the offseason with a surprising trade of Paul George, which landed them a bevy of young talent — Gallinari included — and draft picks that has the team well-positioned for the future. Even with the offseason shakeup, the Thunder have managed to a 30-20 record and playoff aspirations.
It was not clear if the Heat and Thunder are engaged in any talks surrounding a potential Gallinari trade, or whether the two teams could come to an agreement ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
