Why Heat might need to pay for doing OKC a favor. And key Heat deadline moved
A six-pack of Miami Heat notes on a Monday:
▪ The Heat — whose 2021 and 2023 picks are owned by Oklahoma City — currently isn’t permitted to trade any future first-round pick before the March 25 trade deadline, and it will likely cost them a small asset to get that changed.
Because the Heat’s 2023 first-round pick owed to OKC is lottery protected, that prohibits Miami from trading picks in 2025 or 2026 or 2027; teams cannot trade picks in consecutive seasons and can’t trade picks more than seven years out.
You would think OKC would be happy if the Heat went to the Thunder and said it would like to remove the protections on that 2023 pick — with OKC getting it regardless of whether Miami is in the lottery or not during the 2022-23 season. That would free up Miami to trade either its 2026 first-rounder or its 2025 and 2027 first-rounders.
But before last November’s Jrue Holiday trade, when the Bucks asked Cleveland to unlock protections on the first-round pick owed to the Cavaliers in 2022, Milwaukee had to give Cleveland a second-round pick to cooperate — even though the unlocking was helping Cleveland.
So if the Heat eventually wants to get permission to trade first-rounders in 2025 or 2027 for Bradley Beal — who’s not available — or anyone else, Miami likely will need to compensate OKC even though the Heat is seemingly doing a favor to the Thunder.
Incidentally, the Heat’s 2021 first-round pick due OKC is unprotected. So if the Heat misses the playoffs, the Thunder still gets Miami’s first-round pick this year.
▪ The Heat does not appear involved in trade talks for New Orleans guard JJ Redick, who is available. According to The Athletic, the Pelicans are focusing on Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston in Redick talks, partly because Redick has family in Brooklyn and would like to play in the Northeast if he’s dealt.
The Heat already has plenty of depth at shooting guard.
▪ The Heat’s deadline to use a $7.6 million trade exception — acquired by Miami in last season’s Andre Iguodala deal with Memphis — has been moved from Feb. 6 to March 22. The NBA adjusted several dates to accommodate the altered schedule, and that was among them.
That helps Miami, because it’s closer to the NBA’s March 25 trade deadline.
The trade option cannot be aggregated with another player to acquire a player earning more than $7.6 million.
Among players who could fold into Miami’s trade exception: Sacramento Kings Nemanja Bjelica ($7.2 million), Jabari Parker ($6.5 million) and Richaun Holmes ($5 million); Minnesota power forward Ed Davis ($5 million); Houston swingman Ben McLemore ($2.3 million); Oklahoma City small forwards Darius Miller ($7 million) and Justin Jackson ($5 million) and center Mike Muscala ($2.3 million), Knicks guard Reggie Bullock ($4.2 million), Chicago guard Garrett Temple ($5 million) and Washington guard Ish Smith ($6 million).
Meanwhile, two other deadlines are in play this week: Saturday is the first day that most players who signed as free agents during this past abbreviated offseason can be traded.
So Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless could be traded beginning Saturday. Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard can be, too, but they have the right to veto any trade this season.
Tuesday is the final day that a team can acquire a player and then trade him again in combination with other players before the March 25 trade deadline.
▪ Does anybody get a quicker hook that Heat forward KZ Okpala?
Of his five starts this season, he has twice been yanked early in the game, limited to three minutes and seven minutes in those appearances.
On Saturday against Sacramento, he started the first half, played two minutes, was yanked and then was replaced by Kelly Olynyk to start the second half.
One problem is the Heat hasn’t played well with Okpala on the floor in any of his five starts.
Miami has been outscored by 66 points in the 86 minutes that Okpala has been on the court during his five starts.
His rebounding (using rebounds-per-36 minutes) has been below average and he’s shooting just 38.7 percent.
On the plus side, the player that Okpala has defended is shooting only 41.1 percent: 23 for 56.
▪ For those wondering whether Iguodala should be an automatic in the Heat rotation considering he’s shooting 36 percent and 33.3 on three-pointers, keep this in mind:
Opposing players are shooting only 41.2 percent when he defends them; those players shoot 46.0 overall. Last season, he was among the best wing defenders in that category; he’s still in the top quarter.
He also leads Miami in steals at 1.1 per game.
▪ Quick stuff: Bam Adebayo is the only player in the NBA who’s averaging at least 19.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 58.2 percent…
Precious Achiuwa has double-doubles in both his NBA starts. Kurt Thomas is the only other Heat player who had double-doubles in his first two NBA starts…
With Jimmy Butler’s 30 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in his first game back Saturday, he became only the second player in franchise history to reach those numbers in a game without committing a turnover. Steve Smith was the other.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 3:53 PM.
