NBA trade deadline 2020: Miami Heat lands Iguodala for Winslow, but can’t swing Gallinari
The NBA trade deadline is just hours away and the Miami Heat should have a move or two to make before the 3 p.m. deadline Thursday. We’ll have live updates for you on the Heat’s doings here all day:
3:07 p.m.
The trade deadline has passed and Miami is done. The Heat couldn’t pry forward Danilo Gallinari away from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Miami made one deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves were tangentially involved. The Heat sent forwards Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to the Grizzlies in exchange for forwards Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder. Memphis then sent Johnson to the Timberwolves in exchange for post player Gorgui Dieng.
2:33 p.m.
James Johnson is actually headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of Miami’s deadline deal, ESPN reported.
The Memphis Grizzlies are re-routing the forward from the Heat to the Timberwolves in exchange for Minnesota post player Gorgui Dieng. This trade, while technically part of the deal, doesn’t affect Miami.
2:04 p.m.
There’s less than an hour left until the trade deadline and all is quiet for Miami.
While the Heat would still love to bring forward Danilo Gallinari to Miami, there’s no indication the Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are any closer to making it happen. Things could always change, though.
1:09 p.m.
Assuming Miami’s talks with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire forward Danilo Gallinari are dead, the trade for Andre Iguodala can still be spun as a win for the Heat because of both the long- and short-term implications.
In the short term, Miami adds a ready to play wing with an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award under his belt — plus two other contributors — in exchange for three players who were either injured or just a fringe part of the Heat’s rotation. There was a real chance point forward Justise Winslow, certainly a promising young asset, won’t play again this season.
In the long term, Miami now has freed up cap space for this upcoming summer, which could be important if Anthony Davis decides to weigh all his options rather than just immediately re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Even if it can’t make a big free agent splash this offseason, the Heat now has room to potentially extend guard Goran Dragic, high-flying forward Derrick Jones Jr. and post player Meyers Leonard, and use a $9-million mid-level exception on a free agent.
12:16 p.m.
Miami has reached an agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies, a source said. The full trade: The Heat sends forwards Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to the Grizzlies, and Memphis sends forwards Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder to Miami.
The Heat has been in discussions with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire forward Danilo Gallinari since Wednesday, although ESPN reported those talks have stalled.
The deal could still become a three-team trade if Miami and the Thunder can come to some sort of an agreement, but Hill and Crowder are both currently under the impression they will remain with the Heat.
11:59 a.m.
Miami is now focused in on a two-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN reported, and the Heat have a large deal in place to bring wing Andre Iguodala to Miami. The Heat is sending forwards Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters to the Grizzlies, in exchange for Iguodala and fellow forwards Solomon HIll and Jae Crowder.
Initially, the Heat hoped to swing a three-team trade, which would also send forward Danilo Gallinari from the Oklahoma City Thunder to Miami and let the Heat ship out forward James Johnson, but Miami and the Thunder have yet to come to an agreement to pull off the multi-team deal.
Talks are still fluid until the 3 p.m. trade deadline, ESPN reported, and the Heat has to make some sort of move. The trade with Memphis would give Miami 16 total players on the roster — one more than the maximum allowed.
11:56 a.m.
Details continue to emerge for Miami’s trade with the Memphis Grizzlies and the latest one is a big one: The Heat is sending Dion Waiters to the Grizzlies as part of the deal, The Athletic reported.
The wing has had a rocky season in Miami, serving a trio of suspensions and being relegated to bench-warmer status. He wasn’t even on the bench Wednesday for the Heat’s 128-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles.
11:47 a.m.
Miami’s deal with the Memphis Grizzlies is coming into focus. Forwards Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill will join wing Andre Iguodala in going from the Grizzlies to the Heat in exchange for Justise Winslow, The Athletic reported.
Shortly before The Athletic’s report emerged, Winslow suggested the trade was officially completed on Twitter. The point forward tweeted, “Official official,” and included Memphis’ area code 901.
Miami is also hoping to bring in Danilo Gallinari from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forwards Dion Waiters and James Johnson.
10:48 a.m.
While the trade isn’t finalized yet because of the Danilo Gallinari aspect of the deal, forward Andre Iguodala is already speaking about his move. Iguodala sat down for an extended interview with ESPN and The Undefeated’s Marc Spears on Wednesday night.
10:03 a.m.
Justise Winslow is heading to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has come to terms with it.
The point forward filmed a brief video saying goodbye to Miami, which he posted on Instagram on Thursday. The video shows him cleaning out his locker at AmericanAirlines Arena and telling someone else in the arena he’s excited about his fresh start with the Grizzlies.
“I love Miami, I always will,” he said, “but it feels right — meant to be.”
The Heat’s deal with Memphis is still not finalized, but both Winslow and Grizzlies wing Andre Iguodala are talking like the deal is done. Miami is just ironing out final details with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Danilo Gallinari to complete the three-team trade.
9:07 a.m.
The final roadblock for Miami to finalize its three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder is a potential contract extension with Danilo Gallinari.
The Heat finalized the Grizzlies portion of the trade Wednesday and will hand a two-year extension to Memphis wing Andre Iguodala when gets to Miami. Currently, the Heat is in discussions with Danilo Gallinari’s camp to finalize an extension with the Thunder forward, ESPN reported.
Miami is performing a delicate balancing act with these moves. The Heat wants to win now and next year — and Gallinari and Iguodala will both help — but doesn’t want to jeopardize cap space for the summer of 2021, when Giannis Antetokounmpo headlines a loaded free-agent class. Iguodala’s extension contains a team option for the second year. Miami wants similar flexibility with any sort of Gallinari extension.
8:30 a.m.
The 24 hours heading into the trade deadline have already been eventful for Miami. Pat Riley spent Wednesday wheeling and dealing, and the Heat’s president already has a deal in place to bring in a potential defensive stopper.
The Heat and Memphis Grizzlies agreed in principle to a deal Wednesday which will send Grizzlies wing Andre Iguodala to Miami in exchange for point forward Justise Winslow and at least one other player. The specifics of the deal are still being nailed down, but Iguodala will be on the move by the end of the day, barring an unexpected collapse, and he told ESPN he is excited to join the Heat.
Miami is operating under a hard cap of $138.9 million this season and the Heat stands about $12,000 below that figure, so Miami needs to send Memphis salaries equaling — or in excess of — the $17.2 million Iguodala is making this season in the final season of his contract. As part of the trade, Iguodala has agreed to a two-year, $30-million extension with a team option for the second year of the deal, meaning Miami can decline the second-year option to retain enough cap space to sign a max player in the summer of 2021, when Giannis Antetokounmpo headlines a loaded free-agent class.
Iguodala might not be the Heat’s only addition Thursday. Miami is also in hot pursuit of Danilo Gallinari, ESPN reported Wednesday. To pry the talented forward away from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat will likely have to remove the top-14 protection from its first-round pick in 2023 NBA draft, which the Thunder currently owns.
To make salaries match for Iguodala and Gallinari, Miami will have to ship out at least one more of its higher-paid players, a group which includes forwards Dion Waiters, James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and Meyers Leonard. Johnson’s camp is under the impression the Heat will move the forward Thursday, a source said. Waiters and Johnson were both not on the bench Wednesday for Miami’s 128-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles.
For the Grizzlies, forwards Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder were both late scratches for their 121-107 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 8:30 AM.
