The Miami Heat are entering the trade deadline playing some great basketball and winning three in a row since losing to the OKC Thunder and this year they could get active in February, as names like Chris Kaman, Jared Dudley or Evan Turner could be in the mix to add to the roster for LeBron James as the team defends their NBA title.
Miami has not been an active team at the deadline over the past two seasons, but with Dwyane Wade being banged up this year and Greg Oden still an unknown quantity, reports have come out that the team could look to get some insurance for both players. Many speculated that Andrew Bynum would be an option after he was released by the Chicago Bulls following his trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Miami did not sign him and instead he went to the Indiana Pacers. Indy is the top team in the east and the only likely challenger to LeBron James and company this season, which is why many writers speculate that the Heat will answer that move with one of their own.
With Bynum off the market, one option to trade for could be Chris Kaman with the Los Angeles Lakers, as he has had issues with Mike D'Antoni and after his latest antics, he could be on his way out the door. According to ESPN.com, Kaman fouled out of the Lakers game on Wednesday night against the Cavaliers and in a possible public protest, he laid out on the bench during the third quarter and feigned taking a nap for all to see. Kaman doing this is bad enough, but when you factor in the fact that the team dressed just eight players with Steve Nash, Jordan Hill, Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks out, it looks even worse. Nick Young left the game as well with a knee injury and Kaman fouled out, scoring 13 points and grabbing three rebounds.
Kaman is a big man that can add depth to Miami and it would be a wise move, as the Pacers are looking like the only challenge for the Heat in the east and they have big men in Roy Hibbert, David West and Luis Scola and that could be a big issue come playoffs time. Wade's injuries also put Turner and Dudley into play and while neither player is the star that Wade is, the team could bring one of them in to ensure that they can recover if he goes down with a serious injury or misses time in the playoffs.
The third championship is the toughest one to get for a team looking to three-peat and after the Heat have been accused of coasting, they have been playing very well and so has LeBron James. The Clippers, according to ESPN.com, are shopping Dudley after signing Hedo Turkoglu and now Doc Rivers is hoping to move him for another player. This season Dudley is averaging just 7.9 points per game, but that could be all Miami needs to make up for losing someone to injury. Turner and the Sixers are a decent fit as well, as the team is rebuilding and is looking to sell off basically anyone and everyone.