Miami Heat: Appraising the trade value of the Heat roster

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BROOKLYN, NY – APRIL 10: Goran Dragic #7 of the Miami Heat handles the ball against D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets on April 10, 2019 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Primary ball-handlers

Goran Dragic

As of yesterday, Goran Dragic has opted into his $19 million player option for next season. At that price it’s unlikely he could net a positive return in a trade, although his salary could be packaged with one or more high-upside assets with low salaries. It wouldn’t be fair to call his contract toxic, especially considering the fact that his salary expires after next season, and he’s still got some run in him and could be a contributor for a good team, but his trade value is slightly negative.

Justise Winslow

With Justise Winslow‘s 3-year, $39 million extension kicking in this summer, his trade value plummets somewhat relative to last season when he was still on his rookie-scale contract. At the age of just 23, however, he does have some upside and can just about any position on the floor, and that versatility may provide some additional value for some teams. His salary and upside somewhat offset each other, so his trade value is neutral.

Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters is a streaky shooter to say the least, and with two years and $27 million left on his contract he is unlikely to be highly sought after on the trade market. More likely than not, Waiters likely has the most negative trade value of any of the players who could be classified as primary ball-handlers.

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