The Miami Heat are expected to be busy this NBA offseason and one name that has been linked to the franchise is Mike Conley. Currently with the Memphis Grizzlies, the 31-year-old is expected to hook up with a new team this summer with several teams interested in having him to do their playmaking chores, one of which is the South Beach-based squad.
Seeing however that he holds a hefty $67 million contract for the next two seasons, investing in the veteran guard raises questions. One is that for Miami to sign the fourth overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, letting go of some players may be needed, Sporting News reported. Among the names that come to mind are Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. Dealing off the Slovenian basketball player would be risky although his efforts have not exactly paid off for team president Pat Riley and his boys. Factoring in as well that Conley has been hounded by the injury bug, a changing of guards may not push Miami to a better showing although he is two-years younger than Dragic.
Hassan Whiteside, on the other hand, has seen his stock dip the past seasons. After hitting it well during the 2016-17 NBA season, the 2017 NBA rebounding leader’s performance nose-dived due to several injuries. He has since struggled to recall that old form that made him one of the highly coveted NBA stars in the league and most foresee him likely to be sent off to another team this NBA offseason.
It will be a tough decision to make for the Heat. And if they are bent on getting him to their fold, they need to act fast. Several other teams are in pursuit of the veteran guard, namely the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams are also in search of a reliable and tested point guard to orchestrate plays, although they too will have to figure out who they will have to let go.
According to CBS Sports, the Grizzlies are in no rush Conley. They will likely see the offers on the table and then go with the one that makes sense. With Memphis in the rebuilding phase, they are likely to prefer young but promising starts to the fold.
For the Heat, acquiring Conley could be done in a variety of ways. But with his humongous contract in play, Miami may have to part with one of their current stars who have not exactly risen to the occasion.
