Why did the Suns want to get Heat rookie center Claire Were so much?

Many American media believe that the Heat are just about to send Claire Wealth away from Durant.

Claire Were was selected by the Heat with the 15th pick in the first round at the 2024 draft. Height: 213cm, wingspan: 224cm, weight: 105kg, age: 21 years old.

Well played 64 regular season games for the Heat last season, averaging 22.2 minutes per game, scoring 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks.

shooting percentage: 55.4%, three-point shooting percentage: 31.5%, free throw shooting percentage: 68.7%, and his shooting percentage at the end of the basket was as high as 66.8%.

Claire Were is indeed the most suitable candidate for the starting center of the Suns.

1.Vail has good potential and combat ability. After the Suns traded Ayton, they lacked reliable centers in the interior for a long time. Weal has shown stable performance in his rookie season, and he is only 21 years old this year, which is very consistent with the team's long-term core player positioning. Weir not only can pick-and-roll shooting and finish the game down, but also has certain three-point shooting ability. His wingspan and athletic ability (such as 10.97 seconds in the penalty area) gives him the potential to be a top franchise guard on the defensive end.

2. Team salary.

Vail's rookie contract for the regular season is still three years ($4.89 million, $5.12 million, and $7.85 million). The salary pressure in the future is relatively small, which is very suitable for the current salary structure of the Suns.

3. Among the quotes provided by other teams, Weir is more in line with the Suns' conditions. The management of the Suns has always hoped to get a strong center forward to strengthen the team's inside line in Durant's trade. The Timberwolves are willing to provide Gobert in the trade, but the Timberwolves can only provide one first-round draft pick to the Suns. The Suns are not very willing to get Gobert. Gobert has only one year left to have a contract, and the contract next season is still a player option. The Suns' management once asked the Raptors to add Pelter to the trading chips, but was directly rejected by the Raptors' management. The Suns' pursuit of Weal is essentially a comprehensive consideration of its offensive and defensive potential, reconstruction adaptability and key position in transaction negotiations. If the Heat finally compromises and sends out Wealth, the Suns may accelerate the reconstruction process through this transaction, and the addition of Wealth may become the core pillar of the Suns future inside line.