3 Big-name players the Heat should NOT trade for

2. Jordan Poole

The next player the Heat should avoid in the trade market is Jordan Poole. While the Heat has obviously shown no interest in Poole, some NBA analysts believe that a Herro-Poole swap would be a smart move for both parties. There's no reality where the Heat move assets for Poole, let alone Herro.

Poole so far in Washington is having a nightmare of a season as the numbers across the board have dropped along with the percentages. Dropping from a career-high of 20.4 ppg last year to 16 ppg this year, FG percentage 43 to 39 percent and a mediocre 33 percent from three to an abysmal 28 percent. The eye test also acknowledges the struggles and questionable shot attempts that Poole has taken. To make matters worse, known as a bad defender, he has a defensive rating of 120 so far into the season.

According to Marc Stein, the Wizards could be looking to move on from Poole and his four-year, $128 million contract after concluding that he's building block material. Some, like Ben Stiner, have argued that the Heat should be an interested suitor.

"There is no question that the Heat will still need Herro's scoring numbers, but I believe that Poole could be an intriguing addition to replace Herro."

- Ben Stiner, NBA "Analyst"

Stiner's argument is that the Heat are a better team without Herro. Whether that point is true or not, what does replacing Herro with Poole do for the Heat?

Herro's production and efficiency had people around the league thinking that he has an All-Star season coming, which could very much still be the case. Herro has a cheaper contract at four years, $120 million, and is actually meeting the expectations that come with being a $100 million player.

Herro is still improving as a defender and has a lot more room to grow, but he's shown that he's willing to commit on that end, which cannot be said for Poole.

Stinar also says that Poole "has proven that he can be a reliable bench scorer for a championship team." While Poole did have a good 2022 season, he followed up in the 2023 playoffs averaging 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 13 games, shooting 33 percent from the field and 25 percent from three. For a Heat team that needs scoring, how does this help them? Especially with what Poole has shown us so far into the 2023-24 season, there's no reason to believe he could pick up his level of play.

The team-building aspect is another head-scratcher as the team has shown to rally around Herro despite all the rumors. He works hard and is welcomed by the team. Replacing Herro for a player with a major reduction in production would surely leave a bad stench in the locker room, and could ultimately shut the Butler window.