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Report: Miami Heat Interested in Acquiring Former First-Round Pick
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The Miami Heat haven't been able to add a whole lot of talent this offseason outside of swinging a trade for Norman Powell, but they may have another move up their sleeve before the start of the 2025-26 NBA campaign. More specifically, they are looking for frontcourt depth.
Grant Afseth of Fastbreak Journal has reported that the Heat have expressed interest in multiple big men, and among them is former Utah Jazz first-round draft pick Trey Lyles.
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"Trey Lyles and Kai Jones are among various players sources can confirm have drawn interest this summer," Afseth wrote. "The search for additional depth comes after an offseason in which Miami addressed its perimeter rotation, but has since moved on from Kevin Love and Haywood Highsmith in trades."
Lyles spent the last three-and-a-half seasons with the Sacramento Kings. Last year, he played in 69 games, primarily in a bench role. During that time, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds over 19.6 minutes per game on 42.0/34.0/70.0 shooting splits.
Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, reacts during the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 4 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, reacts during the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 4 in New Orleans, 29-year-old's percentages obviously weren't pretty last season, but he has an extended history of serving as a more than adequate floor spacer up front and made 38.4 percent of his three-point attempts as recently as 2023-24.
Lyles, who played his collegiate basketball at the University of Kentucky, was originally selected by the Jazz with the 12th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
He spent the first two years of his career in Utah before being dealt to the Denver Nuggets in a 2017 draft night deal that sent Donovan Mitchell to the Jazz.
The Nuggets certainly regret making that move, even if Lyles had a very productive debut campaign in the Mile High City when he logged 9.9 points and 4.8 boards a night on 49.1/38.1/70.6 shooting splits.
Lyles has definitely been well-traveled throughout his professional career, also spending time with the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons before heading over to the Kings in a midseason trade during the 2021-22 campaign, the only season in which Lyles averaged double figures throughout his NBA tenure.
The Canadian native owns lifetime averages of 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while making 44.1 percent of his shots, 34.7 percent of his triples and 74.1 percent of his free throws.
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Even if Lyles may not have materialized in the way that some anticipated when he made the jump to the NBA a decade ago, he remains a solid rotational piece and could definitely help a playoff-contending team like the Heat.
Miami went 37-45 last season, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
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