The Miami Heat will eventually have to choose between Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, and there's a real chance they could surprisingly do so before the February 5 NBA Trade Deadline. If so, the Heat could have the opportunity to make a move that no one, including their fans, would see coming.
On the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon theorize whether the Heat could, somewhat surprisingly, trade one of Herro or Powell before the deadline. Because the Heat is unlikely to sign both to extensions when the time comes, it could make sense to proactively make the move now.
Herro has just one year remaining on his contract after this season, and Powell will test free agency this summer. If the Heat wanted to capitalize on getting an asset out of one of them, before they lose one (or both) for nothing, there could be some merit to a trade.
Especially with the way the Heath as operated in the past, it would be surprising to see a trade of Powell or Herro come to fruition before the deadline, but it might be the right move. And maybe that reality begins to set in for the front office over the next week and a half to prompt such a decision.
Could the Heat trade Norman Powell or Tyler Herro?
If so, you'd have to imagine that there would be a pretty healthy market for at least one of them. If I had to guess, I'd suspect that there would be more interest in Powell over Herro, solely because of the contract extensions both players are lining up for.
Powell is older and may have slightly less in the tank, but his contract extension would also likely be significantly lower than what many envision Herro getting. That matters, and could play a huge role in the Heat's decisions.
The big question is, if a team offered a first-round pick for Powell or Herro, would the Heat even consider unloading one of them? Such a scenario could put the team in an interesting dilemma and force a perhaps premature decision on their future.
But I'd argue that if the Heat is genuinely all-in on a potential offseason pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, I'd be hard-pressed to think that Miami would bypass the opportunity to add another valuable asset that could place them one step closer to their dream scenario.
At this point, it's tough to predict how exactly the Heat will operate at the NBA Trade Deadline, but nothing can be completely off the table for Miami. And, you never know. Maybe they do end up trading Herro or Powell in an absolutely shocking move.