Why a draft-night trade may make sense for Heat, and other ways to unlock future picks to deal
The Miami Heat isn’t eligible to trade its first-round pick in next week’s draft. In fact, it currently has little to no draft picks to offer in a trade.
The Heat holds the 20th pick in the first round of the Nov. 18 draft, and it isn’t allowed to trade the selection because its 2021 first-round pick was already dealt as part of the 2015 trade for Goran Dragic. The NBA doesn’t allow teams to be without consecutive future first-round picks.
There is one loophole, though: The Heat could make a pre-arranged trade to draft a player and immediately deal him to another team.
“We’re going to use the pick from that standpoint,” Heat president Pat Riley said during his season-ending news conference last month, referring to the rule that prevents the team from trading its 2020 first-round pick before making the selection. “Whether or not we keep it, you know, remains to be seen.”
The broader point is Miami is not eligible to trade an unprotected first-round pick until 2028. And with teams only allowed to deal draft picks up to seven drafts into the future, that means the Heat does not have an unprotected first-round selection to offer up in a potential trade at the moment because the 2028 draft is nine drafts away and will still be eight drafts away after next week’s draft is completed.
Where have all the Heat’s future first-round picks gone?
The 2022 and 2024 first-round selections are off the table because the 2023 first-round selection was already traded to the Los Angeles Clippers to help facilitate the four-team deal that brought Jimmy Butler to Miami last offseason. The Clippers then traded the Heat’s 2023 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Paul George last year.
Draft protections on the 2023 first-round selection that run until 2026 tie the other years up. Miami’s 2023 first-round pick that was traded is lottery protected in 2023, lottery protected in 2024 if it doesn’t convey in 2023, lottery protected in 2025 if it doesn’t convey in 2024, and unprotected in 2026 if it’s not already conveyed to the Thunder by then.
The Heat can unlock a first-round pick to put in a trade, but it has to first acquire a first-round selection from another team.
This could be one of the biggest arguments for the Heat to make a pre-arranged trade to pick for another team at No. 20 as part of a package in exchange for a future unprotected first-rounder in 2021, 2022 or 2023 (which may be hard since Miami does not own a lottery pick this year). Acquiring that 2021 selection would allow Miami to include that 2021 pick in a trade, acquiring a 2022 pick would allow Miami to include one of its then two 2022 selections in a deal, and acquiring a 2023 pick would allow Miami to include its 2022 or that newly acquired 2023 selection in a trade.
Or the Heat could simply approach the Thunder to discuss lifting the protections from the 2023 first-round pick it traded. Lifting the protections would unlock Miami’s 2025 first-round selection to be offered in a deal.
Having a first-round pick or two it can trade could be important for the Heat, which is always in pursuit of the next available star. It’s hard to imagine Miami getting a trade done for an All-Star level player without a first-round pick involved.
FANS AT GAMES?
The NBA sent its 30 teams a memo with protocols for eligible markets to host fans in arenas for games this upcoming season, requiring people within 30 feet of the court to register a negative COVID-19 test two days prior to the game or a rapid test on the day of the game, according to Shams Charania from The Athletic.
The Athletic also reported Wednesday that fans older than the age of 2 will be required to wear masks, socially distance and undergo symptom surveys. In addition, food and beverages will not be allowed for fans within 30 feet of the court and teams will have the option to install a plexiglass barrier behind benches.
As for the Heat, planning continues for what games will look like at AmericanAirlines Arena. The organization’s hope has always been to host some amount of fans for games this upcoming season, but a formal announcement or determination has not been made yet.
VETERANS DAY SURPRISE
Alonzo Mourning, Shane Battier and Glen Rice represented the Heat as part of surprise visits to the homes of three retired veterans living in South Florida.
Each veteran received a Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade, Inc. Healthy Home Kit funded by Ultimate Kronos Group, a Heat care package that included a customized jersey, giveaways from Florida Blue, as well as a personal monetary donation from Ultimate Kronos Group.
“These visits are part of the team’s ongoing commitment to support U.S. servicemen and servicewomen at home and abroad through the Home Strong Initiative, and in conjunction with the NBA Hoops for Troops program,” the Heat said in a news release.
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 2:02 PM.
