The Miami Heat certainly find themselves in a difficult position to shake up the rotation around Giannis Antetokounmpo, especially after the Andrew Wiggins opt-in, but their two big levers left to help them maneuver toward bigger deals were just revealed.
On the eve of NBA Free Agency, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Heat are looking to trade Nikola Jovic and/or Norman Powell (via sign-and-trade) in an attempt to shake up the rotation one final time around Giannis and Bam Adebayo before the end of the summer.
It's not a certainty that the Heat will be able to pull off either move, but that's going to be the hope heading into the start of free agency. And if Miami is looking to create more flexibility for the team to continue to rework its roster, it will almost certainly revolve around a trade.
Trading Jovic and/or Powell could open another door for the Heat
Even though the Heat are already sitting pretty after trading for Giannis last week, there is a sense that there is unfinished work from the front office. And that sentiment couldn't be more right. Despite the addition of Giannis, this roster is probably not close to contention at the moment.
But if the Heat were to make another intriguing addition or two, that could change. The easiest way for Miami to get there is by finding a taker for Jovic (whose contract extension is expected to kick in this season) or by signing and trading Powell for a player on a cheaper contract who could help eat some minutes.
At least in part, the Heat finds itself in this financially tight predicament because of Wiggins' opt-in from earlier in the day. Miami managed to lock up Wiggins for two cheap years with an extension, but that comes after a $30 million payday for this season.
Because of that opt-in, the Heat only has $12 of a possible $15 million to use of their mid-level exception. While that may not seem like a huge gap, it could certainly make a big difference, especially on a multi-year offer.
But, if the Heat were to create more financial flexibility by trading Jovic, that could certainly change things for Miami heading into the start of free agency.
The Heat has made its big move, but that doesn't mean its roster is set in stone. However, it's becoming more and more likely that if Miami does end up shaking up their rotation around Giannis and Bam again in a significant way, it will almost certainly have to start with the team trading Jovic and/or Powell.
As the start of free agency quickly approaches, it's certainly one thing to keep a close eye on.
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