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Heat Trade Rumors: Avery Bradley Drawing Interest from 'Several Contenders'
March 15, 2021
If the Miami Heat choose to be sellers before the NBA trade deadline on March 25, Avery Bradley could be on the move.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, "several contenders are expressing interest" in the veteran guard.
Bradley, 30, is averaging 8.5 points and 1.4 assists for the Heat in 10 games this season (one start), shooting 47 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from the field. A strained right calf has cost him a chunk of the season, though he is getting closer to returning from that injury, as Charania reported.
Bradley's solid defense and perimeter shooting would make him an intriguing target for contending teams, though it's fair to question if the Heat would have any interest in moving him. A year after reaching the NBA Finals, the Heat are 21-18 this season and have won 10 of their last 11 games after a slow start.
That hot streak has propelled them to No. 4 in the East behind the Philadelphia 76ers (27-12), Brooklyn Nets (26-13) and Milwaukee Bucks (24-14). While the Heat may be another star player away from competing with the NBA's elite, they're certainly in the running in the East.
So Bradley's the type of player who would make sense to retain. He was a key piece for the Los Angeles Lakers last season before choosing to opt out of the NBA's restart at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two-way perimeter players aren't easy to come by. Even with Bradley's injury issues, the Heat would be wise to hold on to him barring a deal for another star player or perhaps some frontcourt help.
