t is not a bad thing for there to be a steady drumbeat of Miami Heat trade rumors floating about, even if some are longshots to come to fruition. After all, teams that do not much matter around the NBA are the ones who find themselves to be little talked-about. The Miami Heat trade rumors only mean that others know Pat Riley’s team is one with championship potential.
This week, Bleacher Report’s Zack Buckley put forth a trade proposal that could have legs with the Heat, but only in a couple of scenarios. Let’s start with the deal itself, though.
Here’s what Buckley proposes:
OG Anunoby and Thaddeus Young to the Miami Heat for Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jović, Orlando Robinson, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick swap
Not a bad deal all around, at first blush. The Heat get a versatile, two-way wing player who can shut down foes on the perimeter and knock down open shots as a third or fourth option. The Raptors get two second-year big men as well as some potentially valuable draft capital that kicks just as Jimmy Butler hits his late 30s.
Asterisks Attached to All Miami Heat Trade Rumors
But, again, there are asterisks, as there will be with any of the Miami Heat trade rumors that come across the ticker. Let’s hear out Buckley’s take, however.
“The Heat might have a title-winning tandem in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but only if they bring the rest of their roster up to championship speed. Getting Anunoby might do the trick, as he could take their defense from imperfect to impenetrable and would improve their attack with his outside shot and flashes of creation,” he wrote.
That is all true. One of the driving factors, though, for the Heat in the past year, and going forward, will be showing a measure of fiscal responsibility.
New NBA luxury-tax rules are coming online and the Heat are acutely aware of the importance of managing a payroll that is anchored by the remaining three years and $146 million for Butler as well as three years and $104 million for Adebayo—who will be eligible for an extension, too. There’s also the four-year, $120 million contract Tyler Herro is sitting on.
Anunoby is in the third year of a four-year, $72 million contract and is likely to hit free agency (he has a player option for next year) and should get a deal worth more than Herro’s. The Heat are going to be reluctant to send out assets for a player who will then required a four-year deal in the range of $140 million.
Would the Raptors Trade OG Anunoby
The other factor in this strain of Miami Heat trade rumors is the Raptors themselves, who have been somewhat iffy on what they’re going to do with their roster. They have two tradeable stars eligible for new contracts—Anunoby and Pascal Siakam—as well as a young core piece in Scottie Barnes whom they could build around.
But the team does not appear sold on the idea of dumping Anunoby and Siakam for assets. Therefore, it’s still uncertain as to whether Anunoby will be available to participate in the Miami Heat trade rumor mill.
As Buckley wrote, “Toronto doesn’t remotely resemble a contender, though, and it seems unlikely to flash that level of upside between now and the deadline. The team’s longest winning streak on the season is all of two games, and it’s had a pair of back-to-back triumphs.
“From an external view, rebuilding—or at least resetting around Scottie Barnes—still seems like the best option for Toronto, particularly when the trade return for a two-way talent like OG Anunoby should be significant.”