The Miami Heat may not want to admit it, but the evidence is building that they should be sellers, and not buyers, heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. Fans won't like it, but it's the obvious truth that they must begin to accept.
Unless, of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available. But short of that happening, and it doesn't appear as if that's going to be the case unless Giannis is willing to demand a trade, the Heat should not waste any assets on the idea of marginally improving the team at the deadline.
Instead, the Heat should look to sell as many plausible assets as they can to prepare for an all-in pursuit of Giannis during the offseason. Because if the Heat are going to have any shot of winning a Giannis bidding war during the summer, they're going to need every possible asset that they can get.
Wasting any of them to only slightly raise this team's ceiling this season would be a huge mistake and an incredibly short-sighted move.
The Heat's downward spiral continues
It's clear, especially with how the team has played of late, that this Heat team is in no position to make a win-now move, unless it involves acquiring a superstar. But there's no other non-star move that would make the Heat a contender in the Eastern Conference.
After an impressively strong start to the season, the Heat has lost five straight games and six of its last seven. At 14-12, the outlook for the Heat has certainly shifted over the last few weeks. And, sure, injuries have played a big role in the Heat's inconsistencies so far this season, but even at full health, this is a team that continues to have a top-tier talent deficiency compared to the rest of the contenders across the league.
Thats a big reason why Miami may need to pivot from the norm heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.
In theory, it does sound nice to hear that the Heat have a plan to be buyers at the deadline. Logistically, it just may not make the most sense. And maybe those whispers have all to do with Giannis, under some expectation that he will hit the trade block before the deadline.
But if they don't, I can't imagine the front office would make such a short-sighted move that would put them at a disadvantage in a looming Giannis bidding war.
Giannis is eventually going to hit the trade block; the Heat just need to continue to practice patience. That also might include embracing the idea of being a seller at the deadline, even though it's almost certainly something that would upset fans.