NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Miami Heat

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 16: Wayne Ellington #2, Josh Richardson #0, Hassan Whiteside #21, James Johnson #16 and Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat walk on the court after a timeout against the Philadelphia 76ers during Game Two of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoff at Wells Fargo Center on April 16, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Josh Richardson;Hassan Whiteside;James Johnson;Justise Winslow /

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1. DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins would be by far the most difficult player on this list to acquire for the Miami Heat. He would also be the riskiest signing, which makes landing him unlikely at best. Coming off of an Achilles rupture, traditionally one of the most debilitating injuries a basketball player can suffer, Cousins’ future is so uncertain at the moment. He may never return to the All-Star form we’ve grown so accustomed to these last few years. Beyond his injury concerns, DeMarcus’ place on the Pelicans seems tenuous. Although he had a brilliant offensive season last year, the Pelicans morphed into a more dynamic team after Cousins went down for the season. Anthony Davis played center and the Pelicans ran teams off the floor with lightning-charged offense.

The New Orleans front office has stated that it wants Cousins back long-term. But perhaps the right offer could entice them into a sign and trade. The Pelicans desperately need help on the wing and the Heat a few pieces that could suit New Orleans’ needs in a potential Cousins swap. Again, trading for Cousins on what could rapidly become an albatross contract is a massive risk. But the Heat are on the highway to cap hell with a middling team. They might have to take a risk to have any chance at getting back into the later rounds of the playoffs.

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Although some Whiteside for Cousins rumors floated around during the spring, that trade just isn’t happening. Whiteside isn’t the type of player that New Orleans wants to bring on at this point. The Heat would have to give up some young wing talent to get Cousins (and then probably trade Whiteside immediately afterwards). Some combination of the Winslow, Richardson, Tyler Johnson trio would be thrown into the deal; I’m not sure New Orleans could extract a future first-round pick at this point. Miami might be reluctant to included Winslow or Richardson and with good reason. Those guys are vital components of a tough defense. But with Winslow set for a payday soon, keeping everyone around is untenable.

If the Heat were to land Cousins, I think that they would be one of the few teams that could reasonably expect to work him up to his pre-injury form. Miami has a notoriously efficient conditioning staff that gets guys into incredible shape. DeMarcus, who’s always been a bit corpulent, could really benefit from spending time with the Heat training staff.

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