The Miami Heat made the NBA Finals in the 2022-23 season, albeit losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games.
Fans expected the Heat to play even better during the 2023-24 NBA season and ultimately lift the Larry O’Brien trophy in the summer of 2024.
However, in order to do that, the Heat need another player to get over the final obstacle.
As per NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor via Dru on Twitter, the Heat could target Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen to replace Kevin Love on the roster.
“That’s like a crazy good fit with him and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt. With Jaime Jaquez. The size you could have in the frontcourt with Jimmy Butler,” O’Connor said.
“Imagine Lauri Markkanen in the Kevin Love role. That’s like a crazy good fit with him & Bam Adebayo in the front court. With Jaime Jaquez. The size you could have in the front court with Jimmy Butler. That’s a really, really intriguing fit for Miami.” – @KevinOConnorNB https://t.co/uCUYHUmPvU pic.twitter.com/6ziegR13da
— Dru (@dru_star) December 20, 2023
There was a time when Love was undoubtedly one of the best players in the NBA, but those days are long behind the former fifth overall pick.
Right now, Love is mostly there on the roster to be a veteran presence in the locker room and help young stars develop under his leadership.
However, if Love were to be replaced by someone like Markkanen, it could help the Heat in establishing one of the best frontcourts in the entire NBA.
After all, Markkanen not only brings his height to the table, but also his above-average three-point shooting.
In the 2023-24 NBA season, Markkanen is averaging a solid 23.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game for the Jazz.
Unfortunately, the Jazz are currently bottom feeders in the Western Conference.
On the other hand, the Heat are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 15-12 record.
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