Mailbag: Have Heat rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn made themselves untradeable?
The Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions.
If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them to achiang@miamiherald.com.
@nycfllconnect: What trade would intrigue Pat Riley to let his great rookies go in order to make a championship run?
Anthony Chiang: This is an interesting question for two reasons. No. 1, the Heat seems to be a lot closer to “championship contender” status than many anticipated before the start of the season. No. 2, the Heat’s rookies have been better than expected.
So, what would it take for the Heat to trade its rookies? First-round pick Tyler Herro would seem like the rookie Miami would least want to deal because he’s only 19 years old and has already flashed the potential to be a special offensive player. Plus, Herro is under team control for the first five seasons of his NBA career at a very reasonable salary.
The Heat’s other rookies are undrafted sensation Kendrick Nunn, second-round pick KZ Okpala and two-way contract player Chris Silva.
Like Herro, the Heat would rather keep Nunn, too. He’s arguably the Rookie of the Year up to this point and has incredible value with a non-guaranteed $1.7 million salary for next season.
To even consider trading Herro and/or Nunn, it’s going to take a star who will immediately elevate the Heat to another level than it’s at right now.
But the Heat can be patient, too. Miami can wait until the summer of 2021, when the Heat won’t need to give up one of its young players to add an elite talent because it’s expected to have max-level cap space for a talented group of free agents led by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
@eyeregard: Is this it for Dion Waiters?
Anthony: With the Heat? It’s hard to imagine Waiters ever being a fixture again in the Heat’s rotation. Miami suspended Waiters for the third time this season on Thursday night, this time “for his failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination.” But Waiters can still have a long NBA career. After all, he just turned 28 on Tuesday. And Waiters has the talent to help teams when he’s healthy and in optimal shape.
The question is: When will Waiters have a chance at a consistent playing role again, whether in Miami or with another team? The Heat and Waiters will have to figure that out.
