Is Miami Heat a Potential Landing Spot for Paul George?

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Friday, April 28, 2017

It's going to be another busy summer for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. Nobody really expected them to compete for a playoff spot this season after they lost Dwyane Wade to the Chicago Bulls, especially with Chris Bosh sidelined due to a blood clot. But the team just barely missed the playoffs after they struggled early on. This ragtag group clearly has potential and Riley really likes the players they have.

Last week, Riley told the Miami Herald they would like to re-sign some key free agents from this past season's roster. While he noted that they wouldn't go after any top free agents this offseason, he also said they would probably look to acquire players via trade.

"You can acquire key players via trade, instead of laying out $38 million for a guy. Some of these max numbers are ridiculous," Riley said during the interview.

So, who should they go after? Well, FOX Sports basketball analyst Chris Broussard has an interesting idea. He thinks the Heat should pursue All-Star forward Paul George if he really wants to leave Indiana.

"There's only a handful of teams that tend to win championships, and [the Heat] have got a coach. And obviously, you've got Pat Riley there," he said on the "In The Zone" podcast.

"If I put Paul George on that team with a championship coach in Erik Spoelstra — I'm not going to say they're better than Cleveland, but I think they're right there close to Cleveland and certainly better than anybody else in the East," he continued.

Of course, it should be noted that this is just a suggestion from Broussard. Riley didn't say anything about acquiring George and the All-Star forward has never been linked with the team before.

Still, Broussard made an interesting point. Why would George go to a rebuilding team like the Lakers when he could join a team that's ready to compete like the Heat?

The Heat should pursue George if he decides to leave the Pacers. Who knows, they might become title contenders again with the forward on their roster.