3 Miami Heat ‘Black Friday’ NBA Trade Targets – Grand Versatility Heist Out West
This next one is pretty simple. You thought that by being dealt from Cleveland to Utah, he would be dealt from there too shortly as Utah would be tearing it down, but getting out to a blistering start to the year and largely due to his play, things have become a bit wanky in the mountainous region.
Lauri Markkanen
When the Utah Jazz shipped out their top two guys this past offseason, you just knew the tank was one. However, their current roster didn’t get the memo.
When you look at Lauri Markkanen, he has the size, skill, versatility, and what looks to be the resilience to be able to make a massive impact for a team like Miami. He isn’t a plodder either to be seven feet tall, as he can get out and run.
He’s a willing defender and could unlock so much, deployment-wise, for Coach Spo. You could literally slot him in the lineup from 3-5 with anybody, from Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jovic to Dewayne Dedmon and beyond.
Josh Giddey
This one is left field. Josh Giddey is a point guard if you look at his game.
However, with his size, versatility, the Miami Heat’s ball and man movement style, and their positionless philosophy, he can play on the court anywhere for them. That’s why he could be a fit.
Ok, now, why would Oklahoma City even entertain moving him? Who knows, but they’ve done crazier.
Here is the thinking there though. When you look at the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31 points, five rebounds, and six assists on the season.
He is single-handedly the anti-tank, but of course—you’d have to be mad to consider moving him. If you are the Thunder, you move his help, sit him as you did last season with “injury”, and put as many raffle tickets in the Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes as you can.
Which you are sure OKC is planning to do—because that’s just how they do it.
That would be the thinking behind these deals. None of these are imminent, being “reported on”, or have even been conceived of though, so there’s that.
However, none are completely out of the question, just not real—yet. And that’s why these are the Miami Heat’s Black Friday trade targets.