Top 4 PF/C targets to pair with Bam Adebayo

The 2022 NBA off-season has been a tough one to bear if you're a Heat fan. A lot of the teams that we'll be competing with for playoff seeding have gotten better. The Boston Celtics picked up Malcom Brogdon without having to give up any key rotation players. The Milwaukee Bucks will be healthier next season with Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton getting a full off-season to rest and get back to full strength to compliment one of the best players in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Philadelphia 76ers added a perfect front court partner to Joel Embiid in PJ Tucker and James Harden took less money to help the Sixers make that happen.

All that is happening while Pat Riley and the Miami Heat front office are understandably waiting for an orca in the shape of Kevin Durant or Donavon Mitchell. While anything is certainly in the realm of possibility for the Godfather I'll be talking about some options that the Heat could look towards to give Bam a proper front court partner.

*These options are only possible if the Miami Heat do not acquire either Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell

4. Jae Crowder

Jae Crowder has already been a part of Heat Culture and he was one of my favorite players while he was with the team. His toughness and versatility on the defensive end make him an excellent replacement for PJ Tucker. His outside shooting fell off a bit last season as he shot 34.8%, but the last two seasons combine show he shot 36.9% on just under six attempts a game for the Phoenix Suns. I'll take those numbers along with all the intangibles he brings on and off the court.

Now with Deandre Ayton getting his max offer sheet matched by the Phoenix Suns, it's more likely that they run it back for another season instead of trading away a key piece of the rotation in Crowder. All the more motivation to try and bring him back to South Beach as he would definitely be a viable closing option at the end of games for Erik Spoelstra.

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3. Myles Turner

Not sure why I was against the idea of bringing in Myles Turner to pair alongside Bam for so long, but I've finally given in. Though he does appear third on this list I do believe Turner has the potential to be the best fit alongside Bam with his ability to protect the rim and space the floor. He has shown for his entire career that he is one of the best in the league at protecting the paint as he's averaged 2.3 blocks per game for his career and while his attempts from three has increased over the passed three seasons, his efficiency has dipped below league average.

In this scenario, the Heat will surely be choosing to prioritize their defense over their offense. My biggest concerns with a Myles Turner move is what that means for Spoelstra's closing lineups. If Turner isn't used at the end of games then it won't be worth bringing him in if the asking price is too steep. However, with the recent news of the Indiana Pacers trying to sign Ayton to a max contract, that clearly shows the front offices lack of faith in Turner moving forward. That will definitely be hurting his value and the Heat can try to pry him away for pennies on the dollar.

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2. Harrison Barnes

He was no.1 on my recent top targets article, but in light of other players becoming available I had to drop Harrison Barnes down a spot. Regardless, Barnes is an ideal frontcourt partner alongside Bam as he has the offensive talent and defensive versatility to start and close games.

Since joining Sacramento, Barnes has been one of the more underrated three point shooters in the league as he's shot over 38% in each season with the team at over four attempts a game. With the attention players like Butler, Bam and Herro would demand, I can see those attempts getting even higher. Plus, he offers the ability to get buckets for himself as he's been one of the Kings best iso scorers since his arrival.

Now when you get into his defense the stats won't tell you the full story. Individually he is not a great defender as he is beat off the dribble by quicker guards and wings. As we saw last season, PJ Tucker took on that responsibility with Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry (when healthy) would switch off. Barnes would not replace that role as his strength are more in his rotations and help defense. Since he is on the last year of his contract the Kings won't want to lose him for nothing so adding a lengthy elite sharpshooter on a decent contract in Duncan Robinson to space the floor for Domantis Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox should suffice.

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1. John Collins

In my eyes John Collins would be the perfect front court partner that is available to slot with Bam Adebayo. Funny enough during the 2017 NBA Draft I was actually hoping that the Heat would draft Collins. Luckily, I'm not the GM and they went with Bam at 14 while Collins went just five picks later at 19. Both were incredible selections and the idea of being able to put both together is a dream for me.

John Collins has everything you would want in a Bam front court partner. His athleticism and work rate are the first things that pop out to me. His size allows him to play the center position as well as he's listed at 6'9", but plays much bigger than that just like Bam. Now there are always concerns when you bring in two players that play similar positions, but I can easily see a Bam/Collins frontcourt dominating the paint. If his price doesn't require the Heat to trade a key rotation player like Vincent or Strus, I'm all for this move.