Miami Heat Trade Value Rankings

May 26, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) reacts against the Indiana Pacers in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat Trade Value

1. Chris Bosh

The Heat signed Bosh to a five-year, $118 million deal, keeping its best remaining player in Miami and keeping him away from Houston. Many thought this was too much to pay Bosh, but let me ask you this. What would have happened if Miami didn’t pay Bosh that much? Here is the timeline:

• Bosh signs in Houston the same day LeBron leaves for Miami
• LIV is burned to the ground and all the Bacardi in South Florida disappears from grocery and liquor store shelves. Everyone ends up drunk, but has a good time anyway because MIAMI.
• Luol Deng doesn’t sign with the Heat
• Dwyane Wade remains in Miami on a max deal and the Heat end up like the Lakers–with the former best player in the NBA facing major injury concerns and no supporting cast.
• Josh McRoberts is the team’s second-best player.

Not exactly the best outcome. But no, Pat Riley gave Bosh a blank check (so to speak, since salaries are capped in the NBA) and refused to lose his two best players. Bosh re-signed and Riles was able to lure Deng and other veteran free agents to play in Miami and compete for something.

As far as trade value goes, Bosh’s deal isn’t very tradeable. But a handful of teams would bite the bullet to get the most versatile big guy in the game. Take the Wizards for example. John Wall and Bradley Beal are untouchable, but the Wizards would give Miami every future pick it had, Marcin Gortat, Otto Porter and Martell Webster in a heart beat to form a Wall-Beal-Bosh trio to compete with LeBron’s Cavs and Noah’s Bulls in a down East.

The Rockets pushed their chips into the middle of the table for Bosh. The Heat could have worked out a sign-and-trade around Chandler Parsons and a pinata of role players.