3 power forwards the Miami Heat could trade for in playoff push

Denver Nuggets SF/PF Wilson Chandler

After getting traded from the Knicks to the Denver Nuggets in the infamous Carmelo Anthony deal, Wilson Chandler’s career has been quiet. Maybe that has something to with him missing all of last season with a labral tear in his hip. Or it could have to do with the fact that Denver is a slightly smaller market than New York City.

Whatever the reason, times have changed. Chandler’s bounced back in a major way, both in his play, and in his ability to make headlines. He’s averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists — 15.5, 6.7, and 2.1 respectively . Chandler is shooting 45 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three (below average, but still hitting 1.5 per game). Of the three players I’ve mentioned, Chandler is easily the most versatile (at least offensively). Here he is dropping 26 on the Lakers last week.

By way of headline-grabbing, Chandler just recently made a big splash too. Five days ago, it was reported by the USA Today that he was unhappy with his bench role in Denver.

Chandler is locked into a contract for two more seasons after this one. Meaning he may be stuck. When he re-signed with Denver in 2015, it was on a four-year, $46.5 million deal. At the time, it seemed ludicrous. But now that teams got a major bump to their salary cap thanks to the NBA’s new TV agreement? It’s a steal. (I mean, Solomon Hill signed with New Orleans for basically the same amount, and he averages six points per game. Come on.)

In essence, Chandler is a good player putting up numbers. He can play a bunch of different positions. He would be a vast improvement over Babbitt or McGruder. So how do we rescue him from Denver?

The Heat trade James Johnson and Josh McRoberts for Wilson Chandler

The Nuggets get a versatile player, who would be a solid addition to their rotation. James Johnson could play a similar role to Chandler in that he can be used as a 3 or a 4 (or even a small-ball 5).

Josh McRoberts’ inclusion is for salary-matching purposes, but maybe a fresh start helps him find his form (or regain his health). Even with McRoberts, the Nuggets are still saving money in this swap. His contract and J. Johnson’s combined are worth less than Chandler’s. Not to mention that the latter of the two is a free agent after this season anyways. The extra $6 million saved by Denver could help them re-sign their unrestricted free agents after this season.

Denver is currently the 8th-seed in the Western Conference playoff race, so trading Chandler for an injured player in McRoberts, and a (somewhat) lesser player in J. Johnson, may not make sense. But should the playoffs even be their goal? Teams headed for the 8th-seed, with losing records (the Nuggets are currently 23-28), should probably just tank it (sorry, Heat fans.)

And to close, Chandler helps Miami with his scoring and floor spacing, by creating opportunities for others, and with his defensive capabilities (he can defend 2-4).

Next: 4 Blockbuster Trades the Heat Can Make Right Now

So there it is. Three plausible trades Riley could swing to help bolster Miami’s starting 5. While writing this, news began to leak of a Jahlil Okafor-to-New Orleans trade being near completion. We are still over two weeks away from the deadline, so if deals are already coming through, that could be a sign we’re in store for a wild February 23rd. Stay tuned.