5 Unpopular trades the Miami Heat should explore this summer
By Wes Goldberg
3. Sign-and-trade Caleb Martin
After losing both Gabe Vincent and Max Strus last summer, the Heat are at risk of seeing another developmental success walk away for a lucrative contract this offseason.
Caleb Martin is expected to decline his $7.1 million player option and sign a lucrative deal worth eight figures per year. The Heat have Martin’s Bird rights but their position against the second apron could prohibit them from matching or exceeding any outside offer.
Rather than lose Martin for nothing, the Heat could facilitate a sign-and-trade similar to the deal that sent Max Strus to the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer. The Heat got back a Lakers 2026 second-round pick in the deal. If a team wants to sign Martin to a lucrative contract but doesn’t have the space to sign him outright, they could negotiate a similar deal.
Maybe that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s something. And something is better than nothing.