Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Could Target Forward Saddiq Bey When Free Agency Begins

Bey is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in March. He could be a good compliment to the Heat as free agency opens Sunday night, should doctors find he will be ready to play at some point this season.

Scott Salomon

Mar 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) shoots against New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) shoots against New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

One player the Miami Heat can explore during the NBA free agency period is Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey.

The Hawks are not expected to extend a qualifying offer to Bey, making him an unrestricted free agent. Teams can negotiate with players starting Sunday at 6 p.m., but they cannot sign contracts until Monday morning. Last year the Heat made no major changes in the offseason, preferring to keep most of the same lineup.

Bey, who is recovering from a torn left ACL sustained in March, is entitled to a qualifying offer of $6.5 to $8.49 million. The news of Atlanta not extending the offer was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Saturday morning.

Bey averaged 13.7 and 6.5 rebounds last season. He played a significant role in the Hawks' frontcourt due to injuries.

If he can recover for this season, the Heat could use him off the bench to play either forward spot like he did with the Hawks. A first-team All-Rookie selection in 2021, Bey was drafted No. 19 by the Detroit Pistons.

The Heat are set at the small forward position with Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez, Jr. However Bey has proven he is a reliable swingman when healthy and could be a good player off the bench.

Bey was playing decent last season until the injury. He averaged 13.7 points, but was shooting a career-low 31.6 percent from behind the arc.

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at scottsalomon67@gmail.com

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Scott Salomon
SCOTT SALOMON

Scott Salomon joined FanNation on Sports Illustrated in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for the Miami Dolphins channel. In June he joined Inside the Heat and Back in the Day NBA. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. Scott has covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services. Twitter: @ScottSalomonNFL