Heat's next move after Haywood Highsmith trade is painfully obvious

The Miami Heat's somewhat shocking move to trade Haywood Highsmith is absurdly going to be remembered as a salary dump. However, with another open roster spot, it does appear as if the door is now wide open for the Heat to bring back Dru Smith. That could be the natural next move for Miami.

The Heat could now be set up to sign Smith to a standard contract, especially considering that he's not eligible to sign a two-way contract with the team. Smith is coming off back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, but it's clear that this coaching staff does have a soft spot for him, and he did always seem to be a safe bet to be back with the Heat.

The move for Highsmith could very well rebirth the possibility.

Alec Burks, another ex-Heat player who remains without a team, could also be on the Heat's radar, especially considering their 3-point shooting questions after moving on from Duncan Robinson earlier this offseason.

Is there a role for Dru Smith on the Heat?

With two roster spots now open, you'd imagine the Heat are at least going to fill one of them. The Heat should probably make a move to solidify their frontcourt, but the natural candidate to fill such a role just isn't there.

That doesn't mean the Heat won't eventually sign another backup big, but I do believe there's a better chance that the Heat could end up signing one of their old faces in search of a job, with Smith probably being the best bet.

As somewhat of a defensive specialist, it's easy to see why the Heat could value the return of Smith. Even though he hasn't shown a ton of promise during the regular season, the Heat has invested heavily in Smith, and it wouldn't be surprising if they wanted to see this process through.

Kai Jones could be in play too

If it isn't one of the old faces for the Heat, I do suppose Kai Jones could be on their radar, too. He did work out with the Heat this week, and the team was reportedly "kicking tires" on the idea of signing him.

There doesn't appear to be much movement toward that signing happening right now, but it's certainly something to keep a close eye on.

With the way the Heat has operated this summer, it's impossible to predict what may be next. There's almost certainly another signing coming for Miami before the start of training camp. Right now, I'd lean pretty heavily that it's going to revolve around Smith or Jones.