How the Miami Heat arrived to the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline with such few assets

The Miami Heat’s complete lack of coveted assets forced them to be onlookers during the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline. How did we get here?

The 2017 NBA Trade Deadline was a snoozer. For days, there was speculation about whether Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics would open up their treasure cove of assets in an attempt to land Jimmy Butler or Paul George. In reality, the biggest trade we saw was P.J. Tucker head to the Toronto Raptors.

Nowhere did the universal boredom ring more true than in South Florida, though. The Miami Heat sat on the sidelines as a lot of other teams bolstered their rosters. It wasn’t for lack of want, it was simply that the Heat are currently extremely asset poor.

The cupboard is so bare, in fact, that team president Pat Riley and general manager Andy Elisburg don’t have a first-round pick they can trade until 2023. They don’t own a second-round pick at all until 2022, either.

In today’s NBA, if you are trying to acquire a rotational piece, you need one of two things: A favorable contract (preferably one that is expiring), or a draft pick. Due to the massive deals that Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside signed, and Riley’s affinity for trading away picks like they’re candy (and every day is Halloween), Miami had neither.

So I went back and looked at every transaction the team made over the last five years to find out how we arrived in this unfavorable position. And, most importantly, where exactly did all of our assets go?

The loss of first-round picks

Draft picks aren’t the only type of asset an opposing team may covet. Rookies on cheap deals, or stashes currently playing their basketball overseas are other good examples.

Unfortunately, Miami has neither of those, either. Their 2016 first-round pick was part of the sign-and-trade that netted the team LeBron James back in July of 2010.

The Cleveland Cavaliers then used that pick in a three-team trade that saw Andrew Wiggins head to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love. Ultimately, the pick ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers (they were the third team involved in the deal).

Because the Heat dealt their 2016 first rounder, by league rules, they were not allowed to trade their 2017 first-round pick. (Teams are forbidden from dealing away first-round picks in consecutive years.)

However, their first rounder for 2018 goes to the Phoenix Suns, as part of the Dragic deal. The pick is top-seven protected, meaning if Miami bottoms out next year and lands a top-seven pick, they would keep it. Otherwise, it goes directly to Phoenix. (If Miami were to keep their 2018 pick, then their 2019 first rounder would go to the Suns without any sort of protection.)

Because of the aforementioned league rules, the Heat do presently own their 2019 and 2020 picks (but cannot trade them). Their 2021 first rounder, though, is the final bit of compensation for Dragic. It belongs to Phoenix, as well. Which is why Miami couldn’t trade their 2022 pick, even if they felt so inclined.

And that’s how we arrived where we are today. Without a tradeable first-round pick until 2023. I hope that wasn’t too confusing.

What about the current second-round pick(s)?

At least Miami has two first round picks in the next four years. Somewhat incredibly, they don’t have any second round picks at all until 2022.

That’s definitely a cause for concern.

After all, the team has seen decent success drafting between picks 31-60. Mario Chalmers, Josh Richardson and Rasual Butler are just three examples of guys Miami took in the second round who had long careers (or are off to very promising starts, in Richardson’s case).

The Heat had zero second-round picks in the 2016 draft, despite, at one point, owning two.

Miami acquired the first pick of 2016’s second round when they traded out of the 2012 first round. Instead of using their selection in 2012 (27th overall), they sent it to Philadelphia who took Arnette Moultrie. The Sixers, in exchange, sent Miami a heavily-protected first round pick, which turned into a 2016 second-round pick (31st overall).

The Heat never got to use it, though, or their actual 2016 second-rounder, because Riley and Elisburg sent both to Boston as part of a three-team trade. (Basically, Miami gave up the picks along with Joel Anthony, in return for Toney Douglas in an attempt to save money and add another guard to the roster in 2014.)

And then there’s the case of the team’s 2017 second-round pick. That one belongs to the Memphis Grizzlies if it falls between picks 31-40. The transaction took place when Miami cut costs by trading Chris “Birdman” Anderson to the Grizzlies in exchange for Brian Roberts (who famously participated in one practice with the Heat, before getting traded again).

If the pick falls into the 41-60 range, then it goes to the Sixers, via the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks got the pick from Miami during the 2013 draft night trade for the rights to James Ennis. Atlanta then flipped the pick to Philadelphia.

… And the future second-round picks?

The Heat’s 2018 second-round pick either goes to Memphis or Philadelphia (via Atlanta). It depends on whether Miami selects 31-40, or 41-60, in 2017. Whichever team doesn’t get their debt settled after this upcoming draft, gets the compensation in 2018.

Further, Miami traded their 2019 second rounder to the Charlotte Hornets for the right to move up two spots in the 2014 NBA Draft. They would go on to use the pick on Shabazz Napier, who they (rightfully) gave up on just one year later.

(This move — I thought — was incredibly shortsighted by Riley. It was a weak attempt to appease James, who was undecided about re-signing in Miami, but supposedly loved Napier. Turns out, the selection didn’t change his mind on signing with Cleveland.)

At some point, Charlotte moved the pick to Minnesota. So when Miami is on the clock in the 2019 second round, they will be picking for the Timberwolves.

The Heat’s 2020 second rounder belongs to the Celtics as part of the Zoran Dragic trade. (Anyone remember him?) Miami wanted to dump the younger Dragic’s salary on Boston, and needed to attach a second-round pick to do so.

Finally, in what was yet another salary dump, Miami’s 2021 second-round pick goes to the Portland Trailblazers. Along with the pick, Portland received the previously mentioned Roberts. Heat owner Micky Arison saved $6 million with the transaction.

Andddd… that’s it. That’s how we arrived to Feb. 23, 2017 without a single tradeable draft pick until 2022.

Was it all worth it?

I know, that’s a lot to process.

In the end, the Heat lost all of their second-round picks in salary dumps. Can’t really complain about that; we’re not the ones dolling out millions of dollars, Arison is.

Mostly, however, we are still feeling the residual effects of the Big Three Era. 2016’s first rounder was lost when the team landed James. After he left, Miami still had Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the roster, so contention was still within grasp. Thus, dealing two first-round picks for Dragic made some sense. (Even though the team could have waited until the offseason and signed him outright, Riley wanted to make the playoffs in 2015.)

Afterwards, we all know what happened. Bosh got diagnosed with blood clots in consecutive years. Wade decided to take a huge deal with his hometown Chicago Bulls, instead of returning to Miami for a 14th season.

And the Heat were left with a pantry devoid of a single desirable asset.

Next: Why the Heat didn't make a move at the trade deadline

Riley could have used the trade deadline to reacquire some of what he lost. Dion Waiters, James Johnson, Dragic and Whiteside would have netted substantial draft picks if traded.

But — as Riley loves to remind everyone — that’s not the Heat way. Let’s see what his continued insistence to brashly oppose tanking does for Miami’s future.