Miami is looking to bolster its frontcourt.

“It’s early to be talking about trades, but the Miami Heat are rumored to be interested in Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso,” local media outlet Heavy Sports reported on Wednesday. “Caruso would fill a lot of holes for 온라인카지노 Miami,” the report added.

Miami is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-4 record as of Thursday. The Heat looked to be in a slump early in the season with three straight losses, but rebounded with five straight wins. Bam Adebayo has come into his own and is carrying the team while Jimmy Butler has struggled.

But Miami also has a problem. It’s the frontcourt at the guard spot. Miami’s starting backcourt combination is Kyle Lowry and Tyler Hiro. The problem is that Lowry is aging and no longer at the level he once was. Hiro has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but he suffered a serious ankle injury on Sept. 9 against the Memphis Grizzlies when he stepped on the foot of Jaren Jackson Jr. while trying to drive to the basket and is out for the foreseeable future.

This has exposed Miami’s weaknesses up front. They’re using Josh Richardson, a bench player in a pinch, and undrafted rookie Drew Smith, who didn’t make the rotation. While the forward line of Butler, Jaime Hakez Jr, Haywood Highsmith, and Kevin Love has decent depth, the frontcourt depth is abysmal.

In other words, Miami desperately needs Caruso. This isn’t the first time the Heat have targeted frontcourt talent. The Heat were involved in Damian Lillard trade rumors all last summer. The Heat were desperate to acquire Lillard to bolster their frontcourt, but he left for the Milwaukee Bucks.

While Caruso isn’t the scoring option that Miami was looking for, he’s an unconditional asset to the team. Caruso is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and this season is the best of his career. Caruso doesn’t average a ton of points, but he’s highly efficient, averaging 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds on 59% shooting from the field and 44% from three-point range in 2023-2024. With Butler, Adebayor, and Hiro to provide scoring, Caruso would be a great fit in Miami.

The question is the price. Caruso is under contract through the 2024-2025 season for just under $10 million per year. It’s one of the most lucrative contracts in the NBA. It’s clear that a team would have to spend a lot of money to acquire him. Caruso is a good player, but he’s not an All-Star caliber player. It remains to be seen if the Miami brass is willing to take a gamble on Caruso.