Harden gets away, but Heat still has trade possibilities
So with Brooklyn-bound James Harden now officially off the trade market, what can the Heat realistically do to improve the roster?
Four possibilities:
Hope the Wizards make guard Bradley Beal available, which could be as simple as Beal eventually saying he wants out, as Harden did with Houston. The Heat’s interest level is high, a source reiterated.
The question is whether Miami would have enough to interest Washington if it offered a 2025 first-rounder and 2027 firstrounder, Tyler Herro, and either Duncan Robinson or Precious Achiuwa and cap fillers.
If Washington insists on Herro, Robinson and Achiuwa and picks, that would seem too much for the Heat’s liking.
And even all of those players and assets might not be enough, if the Wizards prefer the type of draft-pick heavy package that Houston secured for Harden
(four first-rounders and three pick swaps, plus Caris Lavert, who was flipped to Indiana for Victor Oladipo.)
A source briefed on Heat discussions with Houston about Harden said Miami wasn’t willing to give up Herro, Robinson and Achiuwa all together. That,
Acombined with Miami’s lack of draft assets in the next three years, torpedoed those talks.
Miami can trade a future firstrounder to any team (including Washington) only if OKC and the Heat agree to unlock protections on the Heat first-round pick due OKC in 2023. If the Heat and OKC agree to that, Miami could trade 2025 and 2027 first-rounders to any team.
Pursue a trade for impending unrestricted free agent guard Oladipo before the March 25 trade deadline or attempt a signand-trade for him this summer. As we noted a few months ago, Oladipo would love to join the Heat if he didn’t get a max extension from Indiana. The Ringer reported last week that Oladipo didn’t want to go to Houston and hopes to end up in Miami.
But here’s the problem: The Heat won’t have space to give Oladipo a max contract next summer, meaning a trade would be necessary now or this summer. Oladipo, 28, can be traded by Houston at any time but can’t be packaged with another player (such as P.J. Tucker) until
March 5. The trade deadline is March 25.
If Houston asked for Herro — either before the trade deadline or in a sign-and-trade during the summer — it’s difficult to envision Miami acquiescing in exchange for a player on an expiring contract, even though Oladipo is playing well — 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 36.2 percent on threes in nine games before the trade.
A package of Andre Iguodala and impending restricted free agents Robinson and Kendrick Nunn for Oladipo (earning $21
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“It bears repeating that the COVID-19 pandemic remains fluid,” the Heat said in the email. “We anticipate increasing seating capacity to admit more Season Ticket Members into AmericanAirlines Arena following our February 9th game. That decision will be made based on guidance from health experts from the NBA and local government.”
Details on the health and safety protocols that will be in place for the return of a limited amount of fans at AmericanAirlines Arena are expected in the coming days. million) would work from a cap standpoint, if Miami was willing to do it. Iguodala, Robinson, Nunn and Kelly Olynyk for Oladipo and Tucker also would work. Acquiring Oladipo would give Miami his Bird Rights this summer.
If Oladipo tells Houston before the trade deadline that he might leave in free agency this summer, would there be a way to acquire Oladipo without giving up any of Miami’s top young assets? That’s highly questionable.
I’m not sure a 2025 firstrounder, KZ Okpala, Iguodala and Nunn would be enough to satisfy Houston, even for a rental.
Incidentally, if the salary cap ends up being the projected $112 million, Miami couldn’t sign Oladipo to a max deal, without a sign-and-trade. If Oladipo took a deal starting at $4 million under the max from Miami this summer, the Heat could afford him, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Herro — without needing to do a sign-and-trade — and fill out the roster with players on minimum deals and exception money. But that doesn’t seem especially realistic.
Absorb a player with Miami’s $7.6 million trade exception that was obtained from last February’s trade with Memphis. It’s no coincidence that the Heat stands $8 million below the luxury tax threshold — a number Miami prefers not to exceed. That exception expires Feb. 6.
Though Miami has 15 guaranteed contracts, absorbing a player with that trade exception without sending anyone back would mean Miami would simply need to cut Chris Silva to stay at 15.
AThere are currently just five NBA allowing some amount of fans in attendance for home games: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz. The Toronto Raptors (temporarily relocated to Tampa because of COVID-19related travel restrictions in Canada) began the season with a limited amount of fans in attendance for home games in Tampa, but that has been put on pause because of the rise of COVID-19 cases in the area.
While fans won’t be allowed inside AmericanAirlines Arena until Jan. 28, the Heat recently began allowing about 100 family members, and team and player guests attend home games.
EXPANDED NBA ROSTERS?
With COVID-19 issues forcing the NBA to postpone 12 games since Sunday because at least one of the teams did not have the league-required eight available players because of positive tests or contact tracing, ESPN reported the NBA is moving toward an expansion of regular-season rosters.
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are in discussions to add a third two-way con(Or trade Silva to that team.)
Keep in mind that the trade exception cannot be combined with a player to acquire a more expensive player.
Among teams not expected to be contenders, players who would fit into Heat trade exception money would include Minnesota power forward Ed Davis ($5 million); OKC small forwards Darius Miller ($7 million) and Justin Jackson ($5 million); center Mike Muscala ($2.3 million); Houston swingman Ben McLemore ($2.3 million);
Knicks guards Reggie Bullock ($4.2 million); Chicago guard Garrett Temple ($5 million); and Washington guard Ish
Smith ($6 million). All would be trade exception options should Miami have an in-season need at any of those positions because of injuries.
And if the Sacramento Kings fall out of contention, keep an eye on three skilled players who can be free agents this summer who could all fold into Miami’s trade exception: Nemanja Bjelica ($7.2 million), Jabari Parker ($6.5 million) and Richaun Holmes ($5 million). But the Kings seem unlikely to be sellers.
Trading for a player with an expiring contract, such as the Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge ($24 million), Houston’s Tucker ($7.9 million) or Detroit’s Derrick Rose ($7.7 million). Aldridge or Tucker and Rose would address areas (power forward, point guard) where the Heat could improve. But none likely would be worth dealing a future firstrounder or obviously, a top young player.
Impending unrestricted free agents Otto Porter ($28 million),
Atract roster spot to expand rosters from 17 to 18 players.
Rather than being limited to spending up to 45 days with their NBA teams, two-way players are allowed to practice with their NBA teams all season and be active for up to 50 of their team’s 72 NBA games during this season amid the roster uncertainty stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Heat’s roster is currently at the regularseason limit of 15 players signed to standard contracts and two players signed to two-way contracts. Miami’s two players on two-way deals are guard Gabe Vincent and wing Max Strus.
“There’s no hesitation with either one of them,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Vincent and Strus. “They’re plug-and-play guys. And certainly if you have your normal complement of players and veteran guys, they easily can help you win. ... They’ll study and they’ll continue to put in their grind. These guys are workers.”
Two-way deals are only for players with three years of service or less and do not count toward the salary cap or luxury tax.
DeMar DeRozan ($27.7 million), Rudy Gay ($14.5 million) and Trevor Ariza ($12 million) are also potential half-season rentals but less likely unless Miami has a rash of major injuries at small forward or shooting guard. Same with Spurs guard Patty Mills ($13.5 million). The key would be avoiding trading a future first-round pick for a halfseason rental.
Forget Detroit’s Blake Griffin, because he has a burdensome $38.9 million player option for 2021-22 — one he seems likely to exercise.
CHATTER
A We hear the Dolphins aren’t convinced they want to stick with the same starting safety combination ( Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe) and one could be replaced. Miami likes what it saw from rookie third-round safety Brandon Jones and projects him as a future starter.
Former Marlins executive Michael Hill said that before his departure, Miami received more trade inquiries about outfielder Peyton Burdick than perhaps any other prospect. The Marlins want to keep him; the 2019 thirdround pick out of Wright State hit .308 with 64 RBI in 69 games in two levels of Class A ball in
2019.
Wide receiver Charleston Rambo, who’s transferring from Oklahoma to UM, has two years of eligibility at UM but plans to play only one season here (2021). UM has 12 scholarship receivers; a transfer or two seems inevitable.
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