After moving on from Meyers Leonard earlier this month and still hovering around .500 as a team, the Heat traded for stretch forward Nemanja Bjelica, sending out Moe Harkless and young big man Chris Silva in the deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Miami is sending Moe Harkless and Chris Silva to the Kings, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/qcIwNnme3t
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
It’s been a down year for Bjelica so far in Sacramento, as he’s drifted in and out of the rotation with a trade seemingly inevitable, but the 32-year-old Serbian is a career 39 percent three-point shooter and boasts nearly twice as many assists as turnovers in his career. In most postseason matchups, he should be able to give Miami some offensive punch in spurts, especially playing alongside a versatile center like Bam Adebayo.
By sending out Harkless in the deal, Miami is effectively taking a mulligan on their offseason wing signing, signaling a reversal toward the Kelly Olynyk mold of stretch big men as opposed to a player like Harkless, who isn’t much of a shooter. This trade could mean more is on the horizon for Miami however, as they will not treat this season as lost, and will want to bolster the rotation ahead of the postseason.
The Heat are also reportedly among the teams working to acquire Kyle Lowry and have been discussed as a frontrunner for Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge.