5 Way-too-early trade deadline targets if the Heat stumble out of the gate

The Miami Heat are hoping to avoid a repeat of last season, when they stumbled out of the gate to a 1-4 record and it seemed like they were climbing uphill for the rest of the season.

But what if they don’t?

The Heat won’t be dealing with the hangover of losing out on Damian Lillard and the plan is for Jimmy Butler to be more engaged from the jump, but there are plenty of other reasons why things could go south for a team that remains largely unchanged after last season’s first-round exit.

After failing to make a big move so far this summer, could the Heat re-evaluate their situation before the trade deadline, particularly if they want to maximize what could be Jimmy Butler’s last season on his current contract?

Plenty of teams pivot before the trade deadline and the Heat could, too. Here’s a way-too-early look at some players the Heat could target at the trade deadline, either as buyers or as sellers.

1. Kyle Kuzma

If the Heat do get out to a slow start, it’s important to consider why. What could go wrong for this group that would result in them making a major move mid-season? The obvious culprits would be injuries and the inability to score consistently.

Should the Heat slip back into the bottom 10 in ORTG for the third-straight season, they could target more scoring help at a position of need. 

Kyle Kuzma was nearly traded a year ago and the flounder Washington Wizards could put him on the block again.

Kuzma averaged 21.2 and 22.2 points his last two seasons in Washington and can play either forward position. As a member of the Lakers’ 2020 championship team, he showed the kind of defensive versatility that would be welcome playing alongside Bam Adebayo.

Trading for Kuzma, who has three more years left on his contract, would be a financial commitment, but it’s a fair deal that declines in value and should be easy to trade if the Heat decided to part ways down the road.