The Miami Heat are one NBA team expected to make a move by next month's deadline. The team sits in a difficult spot in the Eastern Conference standings as the No. 8 seed. They can either push their chips towards a playoff run by embracing a buyer's mentality or they can part ways with players whose contracts will soon expire.
Bleacher Report proposed a mock trade with the Heat parting with their longest-tenured star Bam Adebayo. The proposal is:
Celtics receive: C Bam Adebayo, F Justin Champagnie
Heat receive: G Anfernee Simons, F Hugo González, Boston's 2026 first-round pick, Boston's 2030 first-round pick (swap), Boston's 2031 first-round pick, 2031 second-round pick (less favorable from Boston or Cleveland; via Celtics)
Wizards receive: F Sam Hauser, Brooklyn's 2026 second-round pick (top-55 protection; via Miami), Boston's 2032 second-round pick
This is a complicated three-team deal but essentially, Miami moves Adebayo for Simons' expiring deal, a young player in Gonzalez and multiple first-round picks.
"The short answer here is the Heat do this because they don't envision themselves trading for a top-15 player anytime soon," the article wrote. "Dealing Bam rips off the rebuilding Band-Aid, makes Kel'el Ware the primary big of the future and frees up the front office to shop Norman Powell, Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins without regard for the standings. Miami is securing rights to three first-rounders. Only two of them are outright, but that swap in 2030 is unprotected and far enough out that you can envision it being exercised. What González does on defense and the glass is nasty, belying his rookie-year status and right in line with the vaunted #HeatCulture. He isn't a value add on offense yet, but he puts pressure on the rim and is quietly shooting 37 percent on above-the-break threes (10-of-27). With three years left on his rookie-scale deal, he represents mid-end first-round value himself."
It doesn't seem likely the Heat move Adebayo considering the team has other contracts to move first, such as Norman Powell or Andrew Wiggins. However, moving the All-Star center could set up the Heat nicely for a strong free agency push over the next few offseasons.
"More importantly, Miami is shedding $46.9 million from next year's books," the article added. "That is absurd. It also means they can cut the Wizards out of this process and keep Sam Hauser for themselves—so long as they're not concerned with his being somewhat redundant alongside Simone Fontecchio (expiring) and Nikola Jović. Traveling the current path, though, permits them to create a $6.6 million trade exception."
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