NBA Rumors: Miami Heat To Have "Re-Energized Pursuit" Of Forward

The Miami Heat haven't exactly gotten off to the start they were hoping for this season, sitting at 13-15 and in 12th in the Eastern Conference. They have long been linked to Phoenix Suns' holdout forward Jae Crowder as a piece that could help beef up their perimeter defense. Now, the chance of such a trade is coming to the forefront once again.

In fact, according to NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Heat are "expected to have a re-energized pursuit soon" of Crowder. And it's all about the calendar. 

The Heat are expected to have a re-energized pursuit of Suns' Jae Crowder (@ShamsCharania). pic.twitter.com/6E4oIv2nNu

— Vice City Alerts (@ViceCityAlerts) December 12, 2022

Miami has a number of players, such as Dewayne Dedmon and Victor Oladipo, who become available to be traded starting January 15th. This Thursday—Dec. 15th—is the date that many others around the league, those who signed contracts this past summer, become available, so trade talk is going to ramp up all over the league beginning this week. 

Caleb Martin is another name that's been bandied about as a Heat player that could move to Phoenix in a potential Crowder deal. 

One note that could play into the negotiations between the teams is a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that the Suns aren't interested in taking on any long-term money in a return. But Martin's just-signed 3-year, $20M contract shouldn't be a huge deterrent, and neither should Oladipo's 2-year, $18M deal. 

Crowder's name should be one we'll be hearing a lot of in the days to come.

Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports