What to know about the Miami Heat with Trade Deadline Approaching

Photo via WIlfredo Lee / AP Photo

The January 15th date has come and gone. This means that everyone (barring any extension restrictions) are trade eligible. This year, there appears to be more buyers than sellers. There is so much parity going around the league, and as a result, teams are hesitant to move their players. There’s not much ground separating the last play-in spot from the lottery spot. Teams like the Miami Heat are looking to avoid the play-in spot. As the deadline approaches, we take a look at what the Heat could potentially do this year.

After a subpar start to the season, the Heat are gradually reentering the postseason picture. They’ll continue to try to improve the roster. Being merely $200,000 under the luxury tax restricts them in any trade. Given that the squad doesn’t currently appear to be a top contender, they are unlikely to finish over the tax. If an All-Star talent like Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine becomes available, that could change. They currently have enough matching salaries to acquire any player on max deals and offer two first-round picks in a trade. If they’re able to get the Oklahoma City Thunder to remove protections on their 2025 pick, Miami can move three first round picks.

Potential Frontcourt Targets

They might go for some of the known available forwards like Jarred Vanderbilt, Jae Crowder, and Marcus Morris because there isn’t an All-Star available at the moment. Out of the three mentioned, it seems likely Miami will consider Crowder as a buyout candidate given the difficulty of executing a trade with the Phoenix Suns. The roster still has a dearth of big, versatile players and a surplus of guards. To further balance out the roster and get them more prepared for the playoffs, it might make sense to trade some of their backcourt players for some frontcourt reinforcements. Dewayne Dedmon‘s $4.7 million salary might serve as a solid salary filler, but his $4.3 million salary for the following year is not guaranteed, making him essentially an expiring deal. In a trade for a frontcourt player, Victor Oladipo also makes sense as a payroll filler, but he has the ability to veto any deal in order to maintain his Bird rights. And with the way Oladipo is performing, it’s more likely Miami will keep him on the roster.

Tax Implications

The Heat should also be aware of how they will be affected by the luxury tax in the 2023-24 season. If the roster isn’t competitive, they are already expected to be $15 million over the tax, according to Spotrac. Knowing the Heat that’s something they would clearly want to avoid. If they are unable to dramatically improve the club, they can consider trading for a player with an expiring deal, involving Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson, in order to alleviate their tax burden. There’s already been rumors of a potential D’Angelo Russell and Lowry trade, which the Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly not interested in. Russell is currently on an expiring contract.