The Miami Heat may already be thinking about the possibility of pivoting toward the seller market ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. If the whispers are indeed true that the team has explored the trade market for Andrew Wiggins, it's hard to arrive at any other conclusion.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Heat has begun to gauge the market on Wiggins ahead of the deadline. It's hard to envision what that resulted in for the front office, but it is noteworthy that this possibility has begun to come across the table.
In fairness, Wiggins has a player option for next season that he will probably decline to test free agency. In theory, it's hard to envision how the Heat is going to be able to re-sign Wiggins, Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson, Tyler Herro, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. over the next two years.
Would the Heat pivot on their philosophy and trade Andrew Wiggins?
Still, I can't imagine many would expect that to equate to the Heat trading Wiggins, especially with how well he's played this season, at the deadline. That's not generally how the Heat has operated of late, even though it may not be that foolish of a move.
For a team that has always favored winning now over thinking about the future, perhaps to a fault, it would be somewhat surprising to see them turn around and trade Wiggins. That's a move that would almost feel as if the team is effectively punting on the season, especially considering a trade of Wiggins would likely, at best, result in a draft pick and an expiring contract.
Especially with how the Heat managed the offseason, that type of move would run contrary to everything we know about this team (and front office). Don't get me wrong, that might be the right move to make, but it just wouldn't be something the Heat has routinely done in the past.
Could Andrew Wiggins be moved with a bigger move in mind?
Maybe there's more at play here. And that is the most interesting part of all this.
I can't help but wonder if there's a world in which the Heat are gauging Wiggins' trade value in the event that they need to find avenues for more draft capital to put a stronger Giannis Antetokounmpo offer on the table?
It has to be a thought-out approach, especially with all the recent noise surrounding Giannis's uncertain future with the Milwaukee Bucks.
This is a possibility that would make much more sense for the Heat, and one that would fall much more in line with what we've become accustomed to them making.
Nevertheless, there's still at least some possibility that the Heat could be exploring to emerge as a seller at the deadline, especially if Giannis does not become available on the trade block over the next few months. And that would be the Heat pivoting to the unthinkable. Certainly, given their recent history.