Sign-and-trade Caleb Martin for second-round picks
While second-round picks aren’t as valuable as first-round picks, they are still important for greasing the wheels in trades throughout the league year. The Heat don’t control any of their own second-round picks for the next six years, and their only incoming second-round pick is from the Lakers in 2026.
The Heat acquired that second-round pick in a sign-and-trade that sent Max Strus to the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer. It was good business, rather than losing Strus for nothing.
The Heat could do the same thing this summer with Caleb Martin. For the sake of being specific in this fake trade idea, I chose the Chicago Bulls as a trade partner, but it really doesn’t matter what team the Heat engage with. The point is that if there’s a team that doesn’t want to use its mid-level exception on Martin, then working with the Heat in a sign-and-trade could benefit both teams.
The Heat would lose Martin, but they are likely losing him anyway. At least in this scenario, they would be getting something back. (Maybe they can find a similar deal for Haywood Highsmith, too.)
Total return: VanVleet, Ivey, three first-round picks and two second-round picks
After a summer of tough decisions, the Heat more than doubled their draft capital and created more than $50 million in cap space that they can use to retool the team next summer.