Miami Heat Roundtable On Trading Into Round 1 Of NBA Draft: Juan’s Take
As stated in a previous article, deciding whether the Miami Heat should trade into the draft or not depends on the value of the pick we get. Any deal for a first-rounder will, most likely, involve Precious Achiuwa.
Juan’s Take (@jppacheco1219)
Players like Andre Iguodala or KZ Okpala do not have the value to command first round picks in return. This is where the situation gets complicated.Precious is only 21 years old and coming off of a rookie season where, while he did struggle, he also was deprived of any offseason activities due to the pandemic.
While Precious was disappointing, he could also become a decent contributor for the Heat in his sophomore season and after a full year with the organization, as well as an offseason to get better that includes Olympic activities with Nigeria.
Trading away a player that is already familiar with the NBA and the Heat organization for a late first round pick that would be unfamiliar seems redundant to me. I think that the Heat should trade for a first round pick and enter the draft if they can move Precious for an early post lottery pick.
Think… picks 16-19. They could also attach a second rounder or two if it helps move closer to that lottery level talent.
Other than that, trading a former late first round pick who has a little NBA experience for another late first round pick with no experience could prove to be a redundant move, maybe even a backwards step.