On December 15, the Miami Heat's path toward a potential blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis will be much more of a possibility, because that's the date when many of the free agents who signed contracts this past offseason become trade-eligible.
AD is already trade-eligible, but the more players that are eligible to be moved will make it much more likely for the Dallas Mavericks to find a possible blockbuster deal. For the Heat, Dru Smith is the only additional player who becomes eligible to be traded. However, Dante Exum, Kyrie Irving, and D'Angelo Russell are all in play for Dallas to be included in a bigger trade deadline deal after December 15.
It's currently unknown how much interest the Heat would have in AD or if the Mavs are genuinely open to trading the All-Star big man, but there's a scenario where a deal between these two teams does make sense.
Especially considering the Heat and Mavs would likely need help from a third or fourth team to get a deal done, December 15 is when a potential blockbuster centered around AD becomes that much more plausible.
The Heat could make a bold move for a superstar
With how the Heat have looked through the first month of the season, there's a natural reason for optimism. On the one hand, you can look at the Heat and find encouragement in how their core has looked so far this season. And that's without a healthy Tyler Herro. That said, I can't imagine a world where that's good enough for the front office.
It shouldn't be.
In fact, you'd have to assume that the front office looks at how this team has played so far this season and thinks there's a golden opportunity for greater. A move for a superstar could truly unlock this team's potential.
In a weakened Eastern Conference, the Heat should consider themselves on a bold move away from a potential unexpected run in the postseason. One option on the table is a potential move for AD.
Again, who knows how interested the Heat would be in AD at this point in his career, but he could be an intriguing fit next to Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt, and has proven to be a capable superstar player.
A package of Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier (as a salary filler), and two first-round picks could be a compelling offer that the Heat should consider. And if that's all it takes to acquire a superstar big man, I'm not sure this franchise will be able to pass that up.
December 15 is a big day across the league, and for the Heat, it could be the official start of a path toward exploring a trade for AD.