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Miami Heat: Has Miami been smart in trading their first-round picks?

By John Jablonka

Miami Heat president Pat Riley speaks with members of the media during his season-ending news conference at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami on Saturday, April 13, 2019. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
Miami Heat president Pat Riley speaks with members of the media during his season-ending news conference at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami on Saturday, April 13, 2019. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images) /
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Las Vegas, NV – JULY 5: Zhaire Smith #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers is seen during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during Day 1 of the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League on July 5, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Las Vegas, NV – JULY 5: Zhaire Smith #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers is seen during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during Day 1 of the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League on July 5, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Zhaire Smith

In 2015, the season right after LeBron James decided to leave in free agency, the Miami Heat decided it was time to trade for a star player to jumpstart the rebuild.

Near the trade deadline, the Miami Heat made a move for Goran Dragic, who in the previous season was an All-NBA caliber player. As a member of a three-team trade, here is what each team received:

When that trade happened, Sports Illustrated described the trade as having major “Boom-or-bust potential”, according to SI’s by Ben Goliver on February 19, 2015

Overall, Miami received a positive grade for this trade but the biggest question surrounded the two first-round picks that were traded, with one that was unprotected. It is also worth noting that at that time, trading two picks for a player that was about to hit free agency was very risky.

What happened to the picks that were involved in that trade though?

That 2018 first-round pick ended up being at number 16 overall, where it was used to take Zhaire Smith. He finished his rookie campaign with six games played while averaging 6.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 assists and one turnover per game. He shot 41.2 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from downtown, and 75 percent from the stripe.

Although it was just his rookie season, meaning you cannot totally judge a player based solely on his first year, it is fair to say that the Heat made a good choice in trading this pick for an All-Star in Dragic. Unless Smith turns out to be a consistent All-Star, the Heat won this trade.

As for the other players that were selected after Smith, the players didn’t get much better. None of these players currently scream that the Heat missed out on a star.

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