Miami Heat trade targets: 3 realistic, 2 pipe dream options to consider

Brooklyn Nets v Miami Heat
Brooklyn Nets v Miami Heat / Megan Briggs/GettyImages
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3. Bruce Brown, Toronto Raptors

Jan 10, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Bruce Brown (11) dribbles the ball
Jan 10, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Bruce Brown (11) dribbles the ball / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Having just gotten traded to Toronto in the Pascal Siakam deal, the Raptors have a few more weeks to flip Brown for more assets. Brown, 27, is coming off a championship season with the Denver Nuggets and is the kind of do-everything player most contenders would like to have.

The Raptors have prioritized young players on team-controlled contracts and draft picks in their deals so far, and team president Masai Ujiri said Thursday that more trades were “definitely” a possibility ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline.

Brown, who is making $22 million this season and has a team option for $23 million next season, fits Miami’s needs in terms of on-ball defense and financial flexibility.

The Raptors would likely ask for Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic in a Brown deal. The Heat wouldn’t include Jaquez, but maybe they can be persuaded into giving up Jovic. The Heat also have up to two first-round picks and 2026 second-round pick (via the Lakers) to include in a deal. Brown’s fit in Miami is sound, but how the front office can get a deal done is less clear.