After going through free agency, it seems the Miami Heat are now looking to forge trade deals in order to build up its roster. And, according to recent reports, it seems the team is now looking to target Rudy Gay from the Sacramento Kings.
It's pretty clear that the offseason has been rough for the Miami franchise. But probably their biggest loss this year was parting ways with Dwayne Wade, who decided to join the Chicago Bulls, according to Fan Sided. Sure, they were able to retain Hassan Whiteside and they still have Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic, but losing a franchise shooting guard is still a pretty big hit for the team.
Aside from Wade's exit, another problem that the Heat are currently facing is the uncertainty regarding the status of Chris Bosh, who was forced to sit out the rest of the season this year due to a blood clot in his leg. And, due to the seriousness of this recurring condition, it is not yet clear if he will be given the clearance to play next season.
With a crippled lineup, the best bet for Miami is to get new players through trades, since the free agency market is pretty much already dried up. One of the players they can go after is Gay, who has been placed on the trading block by the Kings along with Ben McLemore and Kosta Koufos, Yibada reported.
Gay can serve as the replacement for Luol Deng, who also left Miami this year to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Based on last year's stats, Gay is certainly a more effective player than Deng. Last year, he averaged 17.2 points per game with 6.5 rebounds. He was also at 34 percent shooting from the three-point line.
Deng, on the other hand, only had 12.3 points per game last year.
But aside from the stats, Gay is also younger than Deng by two years, which means Miami can grant him a long-term contract. However, since the only way to get him from Sacramento is through a trade, that means the Heat will have to offer up a player or two, and possibly even a future draft pick to get him.
