With the way Andrew Wiggins has looked through the first two preseason games, there's a good chance he could end up being a trade piece that ends up swinging the NBA title race. Assuming that the Miami Heat will be in a position to move him (and for a pretty solid return) ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, it would give the team plenty of power and control.
It's difficult to remember the last time the Heat found themselves in this position, in which they could play a big role in determining the top of the NBA hierarchy this season without necessarily directly being involved themselves.
Sure, it's not exactly where the team or the fan base would want to see, but it's not a terrible consolation prize. Especially when you consider that whatever move the Heat ends up making could very well put themselves in a much better position to rejoin the title contenders in the near future.
Of course, the big question remains, would the Heat actually trade Wiggins?
Andrew Wiggins could be the best trade piece at the deadline
Over the course of the last few seasons, the Heat has had much difficulty with this idea of trading their veteran assets when it's time to do so. In short, the Heat has very rarely embraced the idea of being a "seller" at the NBA Trade Deadline.
But after losing Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and now even Haywood Highsmith for essentially nothing in return over the last few years, the Heat can't possibly make the same mistake with Wiggins. They can't. They won't. Right?
It's tough to predict, but if Wiggins is playing at an extremely high level and the Heat are out of the playoff race, or find themselves right back in the Play-In Tournament picture, they'd almost certainly have to strongly consider cutting bait at the deadline.
And if there's a contender that feels they're a Wiggins away from contending for a title this season, the Heat would have to seriously think about pulling the trigger on a trade.
If Miami were to be offered a first-round pick in exchange for Wiggins, I can't see a world where they don't accept the offer. It's a move that could help this team tremendously in their bid to land a superstar player (via trade) in the future, and one they should be holding out for.
Wiggins has gotten off to a hot start this year, and if he can carry that into the regular season, the Heat may have a great problem on their hands. And in many ways, they'll have many contenders knocking on their front door come trade deadline season.