Miami Heat: 4-team trade idea; Griffin, Wall, Drummond, Barnes, and more
By Trey Flynn
Heat decide to double down with hefty contracts
In this trade idea, the Miami Heat move on from their D-league hero Hassan Whiteside, their coveted young star Josh Richardson, and the obvious trade assets in Wayne Ellington and Rodney McGruder. In return, Miami does the opposite of what fans are expecting, instead of getting draft assets, Pat Riley double downs with his hefty cap team by grabbing more constrained cap in Blake Griffin and John Wall, who both happen to be All-Star at the backend of their prime (except, possibly Griffin).
Hear me out, most fans and analysts romanticize draft picks, but what could Riley do with his current players on his payroll? He can’t move anyone that isn’t J-Rich, Winslow, and Adebayo, except – maybe – Wayne Ellington for a 1st round pick, so instead, try and grab overpaid All-Stars. And while Griffin is having the best season of his career, he was still criticized only a few months ago as being one of the league’s most overpaid borderline superstars, much like All-Star John Wall.
The fact of the matter is, the Heat cannot tank with their current roster, and they can’t get a home-court advantage playoff spot with their current roster. And while the obvious answer is to wait it out, this roster is on contract, essentially, for at least three more years.
I don’t mean to be a broken record, but Pat Riley is not waiting that long to win games.
In conclusion, this trade column was a bit crazy, but I don’t believe it was far-fetched, as I think all of these teams are better off 5 years from now making this move, rather than keep their middling rosters.