Heat finalizing trade to acquire Iguodala and working to trade for Gallinari
On the eve of the NBA’s trade deadline, the Heat acquired a former All NBA first-team defender and is working on acquiring a high-scoring forward.
The Heat is finalizing a trade that would send Justise Winslow to Memphis as part of a package to acquire former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who told ESPN that he’s excited about joining the Heat.
What’s more, according to ESPN, the Heat also has been working to also acquire Oklahoma City forward Danilo Gallinari as part of the Memphis/Iguodala trade.
The objective is to add both players in deals before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
Iguodala on Wednesday night agreed to a two-year, $30 million extension with Miami, but the 2021-22 season is a team option, allowing Miami to maintain substantial cap space to try to sign a star free agent that 2021 offseason.
To acquire both Iguodala (earning $17.2 million) and Gallinari (earning $22.6 million in the final year of his contract), the Heat would need to send out at least $39.8 million in salary, which could be achieved by trading Winslow (already in the deal), James Johnson (whose camp expects him to be traded) and Dion Waiters (who was left in the locker room during the Heat-Clippers game). Their salaries add up to $40.4 million.
As part of Gallinari discussions, OKC would like the Heat to remove top-14 protection from its 2023 first-round pick due the Thunder, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I cannot discuss anything right now,” coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about the Iguodala report an hour before Wednesday night’s game against the Clippers. “I’m just here to talk about the game. I’m the coach.”
When asked if any players will be held out of Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles besides Tyler Herro (right ankle soreness), Meyers Leonard (left ankle sprain) and Winslow (lower back bone bruise) to protect them for trade purposes, Spoelstra said: “Not that I know of.”
The Heat started Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk against the Clippers.
But both Waiters and Johnson remained in the locker room during the game.
The Johnson camp is under the impression that he is very likely being traded, according to a source. Johnson’s name has come in trade talks, with the Bucks, Thunder, Rockets, Timberwolves, Hawks and Blazers all mentioned.
For the Grizzlies, forwards Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill were late scratches in Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks.
A three-time NBA champion and 2014 member of the NBA’s All-Defense first team, Iguodala — who has sat out all of this season to this point — would give the Heat an experienced, savvy defensively-skilled wing player who traditionally has elevated his game in the postseason.
Gallinari, who can play power forward and small forward, is making $22.6 million in an expiring contract. He’s averaging 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds, and shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 41 percent on three-pointers.
Iguodala has scored 13,456 career points, Gallinari 9,526.
“Im really excited about that,” Iguodala told ESPN’s Marc Spears about the trade to Miami.
“Jimmy Butler is very well respected in terms of passion and hard work he brings to the game. His temperament and values he has really resonates with the Heat. They’re very well aligned. He’s brought out the most in those young guys. Those are some of the guys I’m really excited about. I feel I can make the most impact with those guys. I’m a big fan of Bam [Adebayo].. Really looking forward to playing with him... Been hearing about him last couple of years. Help him get better. Really excited about that opportunity.
“Excited to get back out there. Sometimes when you get to training too much, you’re training for no reason. All the work I put in while off, I didn’t have to. Could have relaxed. But still put in the hard work on the court... Excited to get to the 305 and be in some great weather and see my man Ray [Allen] on the golf course.”
The Heat is operating under a hard cap of $138.9 million this season and Miami stands about $12,000 below that figure. Miami cannot surpass that $138.9 million at any point this season.
There has been some frustration inside the Heat about Winslow’s extended absence with a bone bruise in his lower back. One Heat source said this was partly a pain management issue with Winslow, who has missed 26 of the past 27 games.
Winslow sought a second opinion on his injured back and was advised to rest it, according to a source. There were differences of opinions about how to treat the injury.
Winslow ends his Heat career having averaged 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 241 games, including 105 starts, over parts of five seasons. The Duke product was drafted by Miami with the 10th overall pick in 2015.
He appeared in just 11 of the Heat’s first 49 games, averaging 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. Before the back injury, he earlier missed nine games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol.
Winslow is due $13 million this season and $13 million next season, with a $13 million team option for 2021-22.
By Iguodala agreeing to a team option in 2021-22, the Heat (without Iguodola) would have about $50 million in cap space in 2021, more than enough to lure a max free agent, with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo a prime Heat target that offseason.
Meanwhile, Miami continues to work on a deal for Gallinari, 31, who has averaged 16.1 points and shot 38 percent on three-pointers in his career. The 6-10 Gallinari was traded from the Clippers to the Thunder in the Paul George trade in July.
The Heat is not permitted to trade a future first-round draft pick but does have available second-round picks in 2022 (via Philadelphia and Denver) and 2024.
Iguodala, 36, and the Grizzlies mutually agreed that he would stay away from the team this season after the Warriors traded him to Memphis last summer in a move needed for Golden State to stay below its own hard cap.
Iguodala averaged 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists and 23.2 minutes per game in 68 games for the Warriors last season, including 13 starts, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range.
He played very well for the Warriors each of the past six postseasons, including their three championship runs but also dealt with injuries each of the past two postseasons. Last season, he averaged 9.8 points in 21 playoff games, including 15 starts.
He’s still considered one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. Last season, players he guarded shot 43.4 percent against him in the regular season, 45 percent in the playoffs. He has averaged 1.5 steals per game in his career.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Heat finalizing trade to acquire Iguodala and working to trade for Gallinari."
