How involved will the Miami Heat be in the 2018 NBA Draft?
In about three hours, the lives of many NBA hopefuls will be changed forever, as the 2018 NBA Draft is set to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York at 7 PM ET.
However, tonight is about more than just which league prospects will have what it takes to make it in the word of professional basketball. Or even which team will give them a chance to prove their worth.
Because alongside the yearly changing of guards, comes trades.
This offseason is already set to be a busy one for many organizations, with a handful of NBA notables becoming free agents on July 1 (including possibly LeBron James). But before fans can even bask in the glory that will undoubtedly be 2018 Free Agency, they get to enjoy the chaos that is sure to ensue during and after the draft.
In fact, they have already gotten a sneak peek into the madness, as it was agreed for Dwight Howard to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets yesterday, only to now be finalizing a buyout in order to become a free agent.
But as exciting as this all may be, what Heat Nation wants to know is how involved in the draft the Miami Heat are going to be.
At first glance, the answer may seem simple. The Heat don’t actually have a pick in this year’s draft, therefore, they will have nothing to do with tonight’s hoopla. Having acquired Goran Dragic in 2016, Miami gave up their two first round picks to the Phoenix Suns. They also owe their second rounder to the Houston Rockets, as part of the deal used to get Chris Andersen back.
However, it’s not safe to count president Pat Riley and company out just yet.
Because for starters, the organization could very well use future cash considerations to grab a guy from deep in the second round. Some names that have already been tied with the Heat are Bruce Brown (Miami), Jevon Carter (West Virginia), Kevin Hervey (Texas-Arlington), Chimezie Metu (Southern California) and Duncan Robinson (Michigan).
Miami could also try and strike up a trade deal or two.
For example, the front office could very well offer up their 2019 first rounder, in order to get their hands on someone this year.
Or, they could even put together a more lucrative package, for a better return.
According to multiple sources, James Johnson‘s name has been floating around as a possible bargaining chip. Having averaged 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists and 1.0 steal a game after signing a new deal last summer, the forward could be a solid building block to a handful of teams.
So who could the Heat be in talks with? More than likely, a team that already has multiple first round picks. Say like, the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Memphis Grizzlies are also supposedly up for parting ways with their No. 4 selection, as long as Chandler Parsons is also a part of that deal. And with Parsons coming complete with a remaining $49.2 million, it’s highly unlikely that Miami would want anything to do with that.
Next: In a perfect world, the Miami Heat could draft Michael Porter Jr.
Like most things in this league, it’s hard to really predict what will take place tonight. So Miami Heat fans should certainly prepare themselves for possible upcoming changes to the roster moving forward.