Miami Heat: 3 trades for Zach LaVine before the NBA trade deadline

Miami Heat sends Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder, Wayne Ellington, and Dion Waiters to the Bulls in Exchange for Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker

Most of you reading who the Miami Heat would be sending out in this deal are probably already saying “wishful thinking.”

Be patient though, if you look at things a little closer, then it works out for both sides. In getting right to it, the Bulls have seemed to have buyers remorse about Jabari Parker ever since about a minute after they signed him. He seems like a throw-in as part of this deal, however, he can score, and that fills a need for this Miami Heat team who is already a lock on the defensive end.

The real grab for the Heat here is, of course, Zach LaVine, whom at $19.5 million over the next three seasons after this year, isn’t that bad of a deal. If you take that money and add it with Jabari Parker’s $20 million, which only is through next year, that’s a total of $39.5 million added to Miami’s cap during the 2019-20 season. Between the four Heat Players mentioned, Johnson, McGruder, Ellington, and Waiters, their total salaries add up to $38.6 million, making the money aspect line up.

When thinking about why the two sides might accept each other’s offers, you have to consider the motivation. The Heat perspective is simple, they need more firepower and although the $20 million for Parker next year is a risk, it could work out in their favor. The Bulls situation is a bit more complex, but only because they are in tank mode, yet again.

Ellington and McGruder both are on expiring contracts. Although Johnson is at $19.2 million through next season, that is a little less than LaVine’s money and two fewer years. Dion Waiter’s deal is through two more seasons, but his cap hit is moderate at $11.5 million, and they could always buy any of them out.

The point is they are trying to be bad while freeing up cap space, like any other rebuilding team, and this deal helps them to accomplish them both.