Free agent big man Jared Sullinger might soon become the newest addition to the Miami Heat. Sullinger was recently traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Phoenix Suns, but the Suns waived him shortly after, making him a free agent. Sullinger is a 6'9" center, but he can play as a power forward as well.
The center met with the Miami Heat president Pat Riley in recent days, as he is looking for a team to pick him up for the remainder of the season. Sullinger's agent, David Falk, said that his client did not work out with the Heat, but that there is a chance that he will sign with them this season.
Right now, the conversations are exploratory, according to Falk.
Sullinger could help Miami Heat make the playoffs
At the moment, Miami Heat are 1.5 games behind the eighth seed in the East and with 19 games remaining, they are looking to make a strong playoff push and be one of the best eight teams in the conference. Jared Sullinger would be a valuable addition to the team, especially since the Heat need more help with rebounding. Even though they have the best rebounder in the NBA, Hassan Whiteside, the Heat are outrebounding their opponents by only 0.1 rebounds on average, and sometimes they struggle to do well on the glass, which results in multiple second-chance scoring opportunities for their opponents.
One of the biggest strengths of Jared Sullinger's game is his rebounding, and he has averaged 7.5 rebounds per game in his career while playing only 24.3 minutes on average.
The Heat have recently had injury problems as their backup center Willie Reed missed a couple of games. Whiteside was also injured, but he played through his injury, helping the Heat win some valuable games.
Miami cannot afford to lose more players to injury, especially not centers as they only have Reed and Whiteside who play at that position. Adding Jared Sullinger to the roster would make a lot of sense, and he could become a long-term option for the Heat.
Jared Sullinger as Chris Bosh's replacement
Miami Heat do not have a roster spot right now and therefore are unable to sign Sullinger to a contract.
However, their All-Star big man Chris Bosh hasn't played in a single game this season due to blood clots, and the Heat plan to waive him before the regular season ends. Bosh has not been cleared by medical staff and does not have a permission to play in the NBA. Miami Heat will have to check his condition once again before they waive him and clear a roster spot for Jared Sullinger.
Although they both play same positions, Chris Bosh is a much better shooter than Sullinger. On the other side, Sullinger is a better rebounder and he has also worked on his outside shot lately, so there is a chance that the Heat will use him as a "stretch four" on the floor. With Whiteside and Sullinger together on the floor, there is no doubt that Heat's rebounding problems would go away and not only would they improve their defense by limiting opponents' second-chance opportunities, but they could get those same opportunities on the other side of the floor.
Jared Sullinger would, according to many fans and analysts, be a great fit for the Miami Heat. He works hard and would most likely become an even better player in Miami. Right now, Pat Riley's hands are tied as they are not able to sign Sullinger immediately, but that might change any moment.