If the Miami Heat care deeply about the on-court results this coming season, Andrew Wiggins will be mission critical to all they do. But if acquiring another star remains their endgame, he holds more value to them as a trade chip—specifically as an asset who returns a first-round pick, and maybe more.
“Isn’t that what cap space should be for?” will be the common refrain here. The Heat could have over $30 million in spending power next summer, and more than $90 million to burn during the 2027 offseason.
Here’s the thing: All of these projections include a world in which Wiggins is no longer on the team. Next summer’s flexibility, in particular, is predicated on him declining his player option, and Miami not bringing him back.
Oh, and here’s the other thing: Stars are not changing teams in free agency. Not anymore.
Marquee names now relocate via trades. Landing them requires building godfather offers teeming with draft picks. If the Heat are going to make an eventual run at Giannis Antetokounmpo or another superstar in his prime, stockpiling trade chips must be their primary goal. And Wiggins is a vessel through which they can accomplish it.
The Heat’s best trade offers will not bowl anyone over
Owing the Charlotte Hornets a 2027 first-rounder, with lottery protection, puts Miami at a disadvantage in potential trade negotiations. As of now, it can only include two outright first-rounders in any package.
That isn’t enough. Not even close. Including every one of Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Kasparas Jakucionis wouldn’t even change that. Teams selling off superstars almost always prioritize the mystery-box appeal of future first-rounders over a handful of prospects inching closer towards their next deal.
Miami’s best possible offer becomes much more appealing next summer. At that time, the front office can throw up to four first-rounders on the table: Whomever the team selects in the 2026 draft, a 2029 first, a 2031 first, and a 2033 first.
Constructing a package around all or some of those picks amounts to a real offer. Especially if any of the Heat’s current youngsters increase their value. Miami’s all-in proposals get even better, though, if Wiggins is moved for more value.
Andrew Wiggins can get the Heat’s star hopes over the hump
Adding another first-rounder to the four that the Heat will have is a big freaking deal. They don’t have to surrender all of them, but the capacity to hawk five first-rounders isn’t one shared by the vast majority of buyers.
Do not interpret this as a license for Miami to sit tight. Teams like the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs will be able to rival the Heat’s top-shelf offers. That’s why converting Wiggins into more draft equity is so critical. Miami needs to distinguish itself any way that it can.
Finding a suitor to meet the asking price shouldn’t be too hard. Wiggins fits the mold of a three-and-D player even at his most inconsistent, and the short-term nature of his contract will appeal to teams prioritizing flexibility.
The Los Angeles Lakers are among those already showing interest. And as NBA Insider Jovan Buha of Buha’s Blocks has relayed, they seem to understand they can’t exit theoretical talks without including a first.
Imagine the Heat attaching the Lakers’ 2031 first to all of their other assets next summer. Or just picture adding another first-rounder in general. Every package gets noticeably better—much more likely to land Miami the star it so dearly covets.