Miami Heat Rumors: Chris Andersen Reportedly Set to Workout For Defending Champs

The Miami Heat are reportedly interested in working out former Denver Nuggets standout center Chris "Birdman" Andersen.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! broke the news on Twitter on Monday, and indicated in his report that Andersen would undergo a physical and evaluation over the next two days:

"

Y! Sources: In pursuit of frontcourt help, the Miami Heat will workout free agent Chris "Birdman" Andersen. tinyurl.com/a5cl2zf

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 7, 2013"

Wojnarowski also noted that the Heat released C Josh Harrellson on Monday, leaving two roster spots to presumably make way for another big man.

The 34-year-old Andersen has a colorful personality, hairstyle and game, and he has the potential to be a force on the Heat front line that has been lackluster in the 2012-13 season.

The Heat rank just 29th in rebounds per game, with LeBron James leading the team in the category in—pulling down an average of seven. Characteristically a stout defense under head coach Erik Spoelstra, Miami ranks 18th in points allowed this year, which isn't the formula the squad used to capture the NBA title.

Andersen is a paint enforcer who is not only an exceptional rebounder, but has proven to be a quality shot-blocker.

His best season in Denver had to be in 2009-10, when Andersen pulled down 6.4 rebounds and swatted 2.5 blocks, despite playing an average of just over 22 minutes each night.

Miami doesn't really have a legitimate seven-footer, but Andersen plays like one even though he's only listed at 6'10". He has exceptional athleticism for his size and—assuming he's in decent shape—would be able to run the floor with the likes of James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat supporting cast.

This would easily be the best team Andersen has ever played on in his career, and that could mask any physical shortcomings he has at his relatively older age.