A super early preview of 3 potential Miami Heat trade targets

With some key signings behind them, here’s a look ahead at three potential trade scenarios for the Miami Heat this upcoming season.

Although they missed out on luring All-Star Gordon Hayward, the Miami Heat have nonetheless had a solid offseason to date.

Re-signing key free agents Dion Waiters and James Johnson was not only important to the morale of the team, but is a testament to the ability of the Heat to transform the careers of players who were deemed expendable elsewhere.

Furthermore, the addition of free agent center Kelly Olynyk was a terrific under-the-radar addition, with Olynyk’s skill set clearly an appeal to the Heat coaching staff and front office.

Team president Pat Riley is rather optimistic with the roster the Heat have compiled thus far. When asked at a recent press conference if a Top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, Riley responded per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:

"“I think they should be competing for that, thinking in those terms….there are other teams in the conference but we feel good. If you go into the season healthy, in shape and you’re feeling good and there’s been sort of a commitment to one another the sky’s the limit. You got to go for it.”"

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Despite all this, there is a saying that has been done to death – ‘don’t underestimate Pat Riley.’

This is was best encapsulated by lifelong Miami resident, and ESPN identity, Jorge Sedano. Recently speaking on SportsCenter to raise the possibility of a LeBron James reunion in Miami in the summer of 2018, Sedano put it best by stating:

"“Pat Riley is a go big or go home kinda guy.”"

Further to Sedano’s assertion is a point ESPN’s Brian Windhorst raised on The Basketball Analogy podcast. In the discussion, Windhorst was drawing parallels with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent trade to acquire Paul George with the Heat’s current predicament. In particular, the Thunder’s ability to trade Victor Oladipo despite holding a lengthy and expensive contract.

"“They (the Thunder) would say to you that if they didn’t have Oladipo on that contract that they couldn’t have traded him for Paul George. So the Heat’s rebuttal (to signing Waiters and Johnson) might be…at some point, we may want to trade for a star player, and we need to have assets to trade, and so these are now our assets to trade. And if this team isn’t going to get 59 wins, and get to the Eastern Conference finals next year, this group can be traded.”"

Riley swooping in on a disgruntled star is certainly not foreign territory.

With that in mind, here are three potential trade targets the Heat could potentially have in mind. And these aren’t just run-of-the-mill deals. These are Riley swinging for the fences.