The All U Can Heat staff spent the day of the NBA trade deadline reacting to all of the Miami Heat’s moves in an email thread.
At 9:52 a. m. ET, the All U Can Heat staff began an email thread about the NBA trade deadline day. About two hours and two trades later, the Miami Heat were below the luxury tax line, Chris Andersen was no longer on the team and the Heat finished trading every draft pick they could for the rest of this decade. Here is that thread, condensed and sort of edited for clarity.
Wes Goldberg: Let’s start here…
If you were a GM, how much would you give up for the combination of Hassan Whiteside and Josh McRoberts. Or, even better, what’s the minimum the Heat should be willing to take back?
Chris Posada: I’d call Phoenix about 15 minutes before the deadline and offer that package for Markieff Morris. Heat take a shot trying to get the talented Morris right, while on a nice deal moving forward. While Whiteside can be a head case, the Suns can give him a test drive for the remainder of the season. Phoenix asking for a first and a pick for Morris at this point is laughable. I can see them punting him if something doesn’t shake out.
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Ehsan Kassim: I don’t know how enticed I’d be about getting an often injured player and someone that you don’t have any bird rights on.
Goldberg: Teams like Phoenix, Portland, even Houston, non big market teams, may have to take on Whiteside on a rental hoping they can woo him in these next few months to stay. He won’t go there if the Lakers are offering big money this summer.
Allana Tachauer: Call me naive, but I still can’t get behind letting go of a guy who leads the league in blocks, comes in top five in rebounds AND is strong offensively too.
An attitude adjustment needs to happen, sure, but I think once Whiteside actually realizes his contract is on the line, he’ll get it together. Riley should focus on dumping some salaries, so that they can re-sign him. And so far, even though it pains my soul, moving Birdman was a step in the right direction.
Posada: Whiteside really will only moved if he’s attached to something perceived as valuable – such as Deng’s deal or Dragic – that will bring back a contract a team is looking to give up. If he chooses to stick around then it’s gravy.
Ehsan: I’m on board with trading Dragic today. What they can get for him his questionable and depends on what’s available.
I am not however on board with trading Justise today, unless it’s for a gigantic return.
Posada: The Winslow panic is silly. There’s nothing available that realistically is worth giving him up – Horford, included. Unless Sacramento decides to lose its mind (always in play) and move Cousins, then Winslow is a building block.
Tachauer: Speaking of Deng, I’m sort of surprised I haven’t heard anything about him re: trades. I assume he’d be one of the first mentioned, as a side-piece to a bigger deal.
Posada: Leave Luol alone!
But seriously, the Bosh thing has thrown a wrench in this whole thing. Deng is their best option at the four now, so they might just ride the season out with him. Of course, that’s unless there’s a blockbuster deal that requires his contract.
Tachauer: Hey now, I don’t want him going anywhere. I was just saying I expected him connected to every wonky report out there.
I’m SO confused about Bosh at this point. First they say it’s serious. Then they say he’s on blood thinners again. Then his wife posts a picture on IG with a caption about looking forward to the rest of the season. Then Wade says it’s not the same situation as last year. Then Spoelstra says he’ll be back soon.
What.
Posada: Heat have traded…Jarnell Stokes. Riley’s done it again!
Goldberg: For a protected pick! The ole’ Shabazz Napier deal. Basically giving away a player for nothing. Hey, whatever. This just opens up a roster spot for Joe Johnson or worse, Dorrell Wright!
Tachauer: …I sort of miss Dorrell Wright.
Goldberg: Would you guys want Dorrell Wright? I mean, the Heat have room. I’m concerned he would just become James Jones 2.0 but he would be a nice locker room presence, especially with Bird gone. I just don’t know how much of an impact he would make on the court.
Kassim: I’d take Wright over Johnson, though.
Kristopher Keaton: I’d prefer to keep Joe Johnson away…
Joseph Zapata: These all seem like insignificant moves IMO. Wright isn’t going to make this team a real contender.
Kassim: If Bosh is out for season, or even for a month or two, there isn’t anything the team can do to contend. This is the downside of an older team with the minimal amount of future draft picks.
Keaton: I definitely agree with that.
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Posada: In theory, Wright will help along the perimeter. But this team’s ceiling was likely a second round exit. Maybe it falls to a first round exit now.
Kassim: Unfortunately the floor of the team is missing the playoffs but still not getting a top 10 pick.
Posada: Weak draft, so getting that pick out of the way now isn’t the worst case. Might as well be able to keep the unprotected pick next season.
Goldberg: This team, I think, is still good enough without Bosh to make the playoffs. It’s not nearly as bad as the team that just barely missed it last season.
Channing Frye to Cleveland, though! That’s no good. Would have been a good pickup for Miami given that Bosh will be out. The Heat just don’t have the assets to make a move for someone like that… it’s pretty disconcerting.
Posada: It’s really not. Again, giving that pick to Philly now will allow the Heat to keep their unprotected pick next season, while having back-to-back picks in ’19-’20. For a franchise that will have cap space this summer – Wade aside – it would be a quicker fix for them anyway.
Kassim: Back to back picks in 19 and 20 mean one of them will be traded this summer.
Goldberg: Are we really talking about back to back picks in three and four years as our most valuable assets? Come on, guys! That doesn’t compete with the assets from almost every other team. The Heat basically have summer free agency to get better. They won’t get drastically better at the trade deadline for a few more years.
Posada: Not at all. I’m saying that the Heat have those picks to re-stock down the road in the off-chance the bottom falls out and they go into a plunge. This team’s actions are predicated by free agency and/or trades, so there’s minimal concern now. The established system gives Miami an advantage.
Zapata: Is this the point where Heat fans forget about this year and just fantasize about Durant in South Beach?
Posada: Ha! No chance of that. Horford is realistic, assuming he doesn’t get traded today, and I guess Batum. Personally, I’d like them to just flesh out the roster instead of going after the big fish.
Goldberg: Let’s talk about Whiteside, because he comes into play in both scenarios. Two things are true when it comes to our Built Different Center:
1. The Heat’s ceiling is higher this season with Whiteside.
2. The Heat probably aren’t retaining Whiteside.
I’m acting under the belief that the Heat are not winning the title this season, so you might as well trade him for any decent asset you can get right now.
Kassim: I’d like to keep Whiteside because he has upside and it’s hard to be consistent when you don’t get consistent shots. But if you don’t plan on re-signing him, trade him.
Tachauer: Is anyone even interested in him right now?
And I’d rather re-sign him (yes, I know I’m alone in this) but in being realistic…we’d have to REALLY dump some salaries in order for that to be possible.
Sidenote, I love how the Rockets are willing to try anything to get rid of Dwight.
Keaton: I could see why teams would be interested but he’s a major risk for the type of money he’s gonna demand. the talent is absolutely there, though.
Posada: Brian Roberts traded to Portland. Guess we’ll never get to see McBobRob together.
Goldberg: So that was kinda weird…
Tachauer: I knew that would happen. Riley is just trying to move as much money as possible I’m assuming.
Kassim: They traded 3 second round picks to get under the cap.
Goldberg: Ehsan with the fire hose.
Zapata: Actually some brilliant maneuvering by Riley.
Posada: They got out of the tax, so it’s a win. Obviously there’s disappointment, but there wasn’t an earth-shattering deal to make. Glad there wasn’t a Winslow panic trade or I would have rioted.
It looks like Allana got her way, as Dragic didn’t get traded. Ultimately, it’s the right decision. It’s an option they can explore in the offseason.
Otherwise, although disappointing that the Heat weren’t involved in anything major, getting under the tax is nice. Buyout market should be interesting.
On the plus side, Carmelo Anthony is still with the Knicks. Sorry, Joseph.
Tachauer: Definitely the most underwhelming yet hysterical NBA trade deadline yet. I’m fine with us making our priority to get under tax though. We’ve still got a decently solid squad. The question now is, what happens this summer?