4 Biggest Miami Heat questions ahead of the NBA trade deadline
By Wes Goldberg
What can the Heat trade?
Kyle Lowry
Contract: expiring, $29.6 million salary.
Lowry has had a bounceback season for the Heat but he remains the biggest salary they have available in a trade. If the Heat are looking to upgrade one of the starting positions, finding a long-term answer at point guard makes sense.
Caleb Martin
Contract: $6.8 million this season with a player option for $7.1 million next season.
Caleb Martin has the option to test free agency this summer, and the Heat could be too close to the second tax to offer him a raise. If they believe Martin is a flight risk, they could shop him for a player under a team-controlled deal.
Nikola Jovic
Contract: $2.3 million this season with two years remaining
At 6-foot-10, Jovic’s ball-handling, shooting and passing make him an intriguing prospect. He’s played well as a starter for the Heat over these last couple of weeks, but there are still questions about his defense and ability to perform against top competition. The Heat could include Jovic in a package with a bigger salary to bring back an upgrade.
Tyler Herro
Contract: $27 million this season with three years remaining.
Any conversation about a star getting traded to the Heat includes Herro. He’s Miami’s best, young asset and figures to be part of any deal for an All-Star-level player. However, the Heat have told Herro that he won’t be traded for anyone who isn’t considered a future Hall of Famer. It’s unlikely that player is available between now and Feb. 8, but the name to watch for over the summer could be Donovan Mitchell.
Duncan Robinson
Contract: $18.1 million this season with two years remaining (player option for 2025-26).
Robinson’s renaissance has been one of the best stories for the Heat this season, but it also makes him an intriguing trade candidate for teams in need of proven, playoff-level shooting.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Contract: $3.5 million this season, three years remaining.
The steal of the draft, Jaquez looks the part of a franchise building block halfway through his rookie season. The Heat won’t include him any trade that doesn’t net an All-NBA caliber player in his prime.
Future first-round picks
The Heat can trade their 2028 and 2030 picks. They can also trade a 2024 first-round pick if they adjust the protections of a 2025 first (making it so it conveys unprotected in 2026) owed to Oklahoma City.