Miami Heat: 3 small trades to improve depth this season

Trading is one of the most common pathways to improvement in the NBA. If the Miami Heat want to effectively compete for a title this season, they may choose to make some moves around the deadline.

Now, with the way the roster is built, it is highly unlikely that they make any blockbuster trades. To put it simply, they just don’t really have the assets to do so.

However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t make some smaller trades to improve depth. Small trades have helped many championship-caliber teams improve, such as the Bucks with PJ Tucker and the Raptors with Marc Gasol.

If the Miami Heat were to make some small trades around the trade deadline, what would they look like? Who would they give up and what trade targets should they have in their sights?

Small trades to help the Miami Heat improve depth: Jalen McDaniels

This trade may seem odd to some Miami Heat fans, but Jalen McDaniels fits better with the Heat. While he’s not the defender that KZ Okpala is, he has shown much more promise on the offensive end.

McDaniels isn’t a bad defender, either, he has just been a much more consistent player on offense. That is what the Miami Heat need off their bench, as they already have plenty of solid defenders.

At 6-9, McDaniels possesses the ability to play the three and four, which would give the Heat some extra versatility, too. Meanwhile, the Hornets get a much-needed upgrade on the defensive end.

In addition, he has two years left on his contract, so they wouldn’t have to worry about paying him quite yet. Since Okpala only has one year left on his deal, the Heat would have to pay him this summer.

This trade would be a slight improvement on offense, plus it would help out the team financially. It’s certainly not a blockbuster, but that’s the whole point of this article.