Weighing what the front office envisions to do (at the trade deadline or during the offseason) and his upcoming contract situation, there is growing evidence that Andrew Wiggins may be playing his final few games in a Miami Heat uniform.
The NBA Trade Deadline is officially less than two weeks away, and there's a very good chance that Wiggins will be traded by the Heat. Most recently, he's been identified as a potential target for the Golden State Warriors. But there are almost certainly other contenders that would be willing to make a move for Wiggins ahead of the deadline.
Wiggins has a player option for next season, but with his strong play this year, it would make the most sense for him to opt out and seek a long-term deal. Considering the Heat has its eyes on a superstar trade or preserving its cap space for 2028, it's unlikely that they would be that interested in an extension.
Both the Heat and Wiggins know this, and that's why Miami flipping him for an asset or a young player ahead of the trade deadline feels like the most reasonable outcome over these next couple of weeks.
How aggressive will the Heat be in trading Andrew Wiggins?
The question is, how aggressive will the Heat being in trading Wiggins?
There's going to be a market for Wiggins; I don't think there's much of a question about that. However, the onus then falls on the Heat regarding what the asking price will be.
That will ultimately dictate how likely it is that the Heat trade Wiggins. In theory, trading Wiggins is unquestionably the right move. Unless there's some sort of indication that the Heat have gotten that Wiggins is going to opt into the final year of his deal, that should be the move.
At this point, I can't envision Wiggins opting in, especially with the chance that the Heat could just use him in a trade during the summer. But, then again, we have seen stranger things before, and maybe there's a chance Wiggins will want to take that $30 million salary.
Theoretically, it still would make more sense for Wiggins to opt out for a multi-year deal, but you never quite know until it's official.
If Wiggins has made it known that he plans to opt out, the Heat almost certainly have to trade him. Because the other two alternatives - re-signing him to a long-term deal or letting him walk for nothing - don't exactly line up with the Heat's plans.
That's why it's quietly becoming obvious that Wiggins could very well be playing his final few games in a Heat uniform.