If the Miami Heat decide it's time to break up their roster, the front office has plenty of talent to ship out for a superstar in return.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, he suggests that the Miami Heat’s best trade assets are Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic. In doing so, they would have enough firepower to land Bam Adebayo (and Jimmy Butler) a sidekick. Making a trade could get complex due to the CBA’s restrictions for high-paying teams. However, Miami’s still below the second apron, giving them a bit of breathing room.
Of the trio, Herro has the highest salary after signing a four-year, $120 million contract with the Heat in 2023. In the 2024-25 season, he’s set to make $29 million, an amount that should allow them to target several stars. However, because they’re above the first apron, they can’t take back more than 100 percent of the salary they put out.
Subsequently, the list of players who Miami could target includes Sacramento Kings wing DeMar DeRozan, Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, Toronto Raptors wing RJ Barrett, and Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris -- all who would pair perfectly with Adebayo.
Of those players, DeRozan may be the most enticing. Not only is he a six-time All-Star, but the Heat courted him during free agency. As an elite scorer, he’s the type of ceiling-raiser that makes Miami a bonafide playoff contender.
Though DeRozan’s star power trumps any of the aforementioned Heat trade pieces, there’s a legitimate question about his fit with Sacramento due to his issues from beyond the arc -- which is not the same for Herro. The 24-year-old is a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter and is arguably Miami's best weapon from the three-point line.
Either way, Herro would make a big impact on the Kings' roster and DeRozan would do the same for Miami. Ultimately, it’s a win-win situation.
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