The Miami Heat got an up-close look at Nemanja Bjelica as they continue to express trade interest in the Sacramento Kings forward, as noted by Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
The Heat beat the Kings 118-110 in Sacramento on Thursday, and Bjelica scored a team-high 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
By all accounts, the Kings are looking to deal Bjelica prior to the March 25 trade deadline. The Heat and Philadelphia 76ers have been reported as teams with interest. You can probably throw the Boston Celtics in there, too.
“That is for sure going to happen,” ESPN insider Zach Lowe recently said of a Bjelica trade on The Lowe Post podcast.
Bjelica, 32, is 6-foot-10 and averaging 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14 appearances. His scoring averaged has increased to 12.3 points over the last four games.
He is making $7.15 million this season on an expiring contract, “a figure the Heat can absorb with its $7.6 million trade exception,” Anderson wrote.
“To be honest with you, I work my a– off,” Bjelica told reporters. “That’s what everybody’s supposed to do when you’re out of the rotation or you don’t play or you play less.”
More out of Sacramento
- Injured forwards Harrison Barnes (foot) and Richaun Holmes (knee) are expected to return “very soon,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. Barnes missed his first game with the Kings, ending a streak of 176 consecutive games.
- The Kings (12-16) have lost four straight following a nice stretch that got them right back in the playoff conversation. “We have to get back to how we were playing,” Walton said. “We really miss some of our guys but we have to be tougher, we have to pay attention to detail. We have to know these types of things going into games.”
