The Miami Heat have already found themselves active on the NBA’s trade market already this season, but they may not be done. According to reports and rumors from some of the league’s foremost news breakers, the Miami Heat are hoping for something huge before the deadline.
Here is what ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had to say on his podcast recently, joined by NBA reporter, Tim Bontempts, who is the other person in the conversation. They started on Trevor Ariza and ended up going a few more places.
This quote was from Bontempts.
"I think Trevor can have a big impact for the Heat, now, like you said… he hasn’t played in a year. You know he’s been working out, but we have to see how he looks as a guy in his mid-30’s that hasn’t played in a year. But, in theory, he should be able to give the Heat a real boost as a stretch four, who can guard on the wing and stretch the defense out to beyond the three point line. You know Miami, although they’ve played better lately, they really miss Jae Crowder. Being in the bubble, as you were for the playoffs, his impact on that Heat team was enormous."
The Miami Heat have already been buyers before the deadline, but are they still shopping?
He would speak a bit more, before eventually speaking to how Moe Harkless hasn’t worked and that Kelly Olynyk isn’t a true stretch four. He closed by saying that “If Ariza can come back and be anything like the guy he was in Portland”, where he shot 40 percent from three pre-bubble last season, then he would be massive for “a Heat team that’s rolling now and looks like it could make a run in the East”.
That’s where Wojnarowski picked up. It was here where he dropped the jewel and a nugget that safely leads to the main presumption here.
He responded:
"Absolutely, and I don’t think Miami’s done. They’ve been very active on some other fronts. Uh, they’ve talked with San Antonio on LaMarcus Aldridge. We’ll see if there’s a deal to be made there or if they pursue Aldridge in the buyout market later, but Miami’s a team that, on a lot of fronts, I think they’d still like to improve themselves. Kelly Olynyk’s a name that I think has been involved in trade talks."
He went on to also mention how Moe Harkless hasn’t worked in Miami and a few other things, but the beef of it all is the last sentence. The KO tidbit is the one of focus here.
With Olynyk’s salary, $12.1 million this season, that would mean that they are looking to take on a rather hefty salary in return when you think about all else they could move with him. That’s the assumption that can be safely made from that.
Also, as KO has arguably been the Miami Heat’s third best player this year, at worst the fourth, you’d imagine that it would take a huge get to give him up. It remains to be seen what all the Heat have up their sleeves, but it looks to be a wild ride until the deadline.