Trade Targets for the Miami Heat

Pat Riley has always been willing to go to the extremes in the trade market to better his squad. This includes trading his young core for an aging Shaq, to completing the most complex trade in NBA history in a 6 team trade, to giving up what looked like the future point guard of the team to acquire defense and spacing. If something comes out about a disgruntled star, best believe Pat has inquired. The Miami Heat have started the season a bit disappointed. Sitting at 6-10 and 13th in the East, the current Eastern Conference Champions have had just about everything go against them. From playing multiple games with players out due to Covid-19, having one of the hardest schedules so far, and playing on an extremely shortened offseason, the Heat have dealt with much adversity this past month. Here are trade targets for the Miami Heat:

Bradley Beal

The Miami Heat’s worst kept secret is their interest in Bradley Beal. The constant flirting between Heat Twitter and the Beal camp has now gone on for long enough. If Pat Riley want’s another star to accommodate Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler then look no further. Beal’s offensive prowess fits extremely well with Bam and Butler’s physical, gritty style of play. Beal this season is averaging 35 PPG, 5 APG and 5 RPG on 50/37/87 shooting splits. His start to the season has been nothing short of excellent. Last season he averaged 30 PPG, 6 APG and 4 RPG on 45/35/84 splits. He has dominated the NBA these last 2 years, but hasn’t had much team success.

Beal’s contract could be looked at as a 2 year entering his final year next year if he choses to opt out. Beal wanted to run it back with former best friend John Wall, however that was cut short when Wall requested a trade. That put Beal and the Wizards in a weird position. Currently sitting at 3-8 and 14th in the East, if the Wizards don’t begin winning, Beal can be looking for a move away from the nations capital.

A trade for Bradley Beal will likely see a huge hit into the Heat’s young core. We’ve seen Riley do this before, helping land Shaq, which led into the 2006 Championship, so it’s not crazy to think Riley calls Washington to make a move. Realistically this will see the departure of Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and/or Duncan Robinson. The good thing about Beal is that he’s still 27 years old, getting ready to enter his prime. The power of this trade rests on if Beal has had enough of Washington or if he wants to continue his loyalty.

Victor Oladipo and PJ Tucker

Victor Oladipo has been flirting with a move to Miami for years. Spending most of his offseason in the city of Miami, friends with various members on the roster, and has constantly stated his role model is Dwyane Wade, he’s been begging for this move to happen. However, the main issue is that Oladipo just got traded to the Houston Rockets. This means there’s a 90 day no trade rule, leaving this trade a possibility to happen at the trade deadline. This could also open the door for Oladipo to fall in love with Houston and change his mind on Miami. However, Dipo does carry a 1 year deal, leading him to become a free agent this upcoming offseason. If Houston thinks he’s not gonna resign, it’s possible Houston opens up the market.

A big loss that Miami have felt this year was the departure of Jae Crowder. His physicality 0n defense, spacing on offense, and tenacity on the glass have been noticeably missing from last season to this season. Not many people can replicate the role Jae played for the Heat that year. PJ Tucker is one of them. A 37% career three point shooter, he’s shooting 45% this year. Jae Crowder in Miami shot 44% which is an anomaly for him as he himself is a 34% shooter. PJ can also play defense from 2-5 and although not as physical, he is as effective as he constantly gets the toughest matchup in Houston. PJ also replicates Jae’s rebounding numbers as his career average is 6 a game.

Both players will become free agents this year. This gives Miami leverage to not have to trade most of it’s high end players, but could mean the end for someone like Nunn or Robinson (also on his last year) as they will get shipped. Keep an eye on where Dipo stands with Houston.

Kyle Lowry

If there’s a very important trend going on in the NBA recently, it’s that relationships are important. Brooklyn was formed by the relationships KD has with Kyrie and Harden. Russ forced his way to Houston by the relationship he had with Harden. AD forced his move to LA because of the relationship with LeBron. Lowry has a close relationship with Jimmy Butler. This means he gets added to the trade targets for the Miami Heat.

As hard as it is to picture Kyle Lowry in any other uniform that isn’t Toronto, he is also a prefect embodiment of Heat culture. From his super pesky defense, his ability to pick up charges, and his selflessness, he’s one of the best examples of a “Heat guy” as anyone in the league. Miami has lacked a true ball handler this whole season and lacked a defensive presence at the guard position. Kyle Lowry checks both of those holes.

The Toronto Raptors are another team that has looked disappointing to start the season. A very young team, it’s not out of the question for the Raps to trade Lowry, reset, and be good again in 2 years. Lowry is working off a one year deal as well, so this can also happen if Toronto feel’s Lowry’s time with the organization is done. If the Raptors move on from Lowry, they will be looking for youth. Duncan, Nunn, KZ, or Precious will be talked about for this trade along with cap filler.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Miami Heat have a long season to go and have dealt with an unfortunate amount of circumstances. Their 6-10 record isn’t a true representation of who they are. However, they have a long way to go to get back, and if they wanna repeat in the East, somethings going to change. Miami is in a good position to make moves for stars and role players, and Pat Riley isn’t afraid to make the necessary moves. Lots of opportunities will open up as the season progresses. However, for now this is the list of trade targets for the Miami Heat.

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