Heat Trade Rumors Tracker: Latest Updates Ahead of 2015 NBA Trade Deadline
The Miami Heat are on the fringe of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and added a big boost in point guard Goran Dragic. The team also shipped Norris Cole and Shawne Williams to the Pelicans.
Continue for updates.
Heat Acquire Dragic Brothers, John Salmons on Deadline Day
Thursday, Feb. 19
The Miami Heat had an active Thursday, acquiring multiple players in two separate deals.
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported the major deal of the day, sending the Dragic brothers from Phoenix to Miami:
In a minor deal, ESPN's Marc Stein and Wojnarowski reported that the Heat also sent Norris Cole and Shawne Williams to New Orleans in exchange for John Salmons.
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that the Heat, along with the Knicks and Lakers, were among Dragic's preferred destinations.
Sam Amick of USA Today first reported on Tuesday that Dragic wanted out of Phoenix. ESPN's Marc Stein reported that he was likely to move by Thursday's trade deadline.
Wojnarowski: Heat Lack Assets to Acquire Afflalo
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that Miami currently lack the necessary assets to complete a deal for Nuggets shooting guard Arron Afflalo.
Eastern Conference GM: Heat Lack Tradable Players
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald spoke with an Eastern Conference general manager who doesn't believe Miami has enough to offer other teams in a prospective trade:
"[The GM] said Norris Cole has been mentioned in trade talks 'but what are you going to get for him? He's a backup. They don't have much to give up. Josh McRoberts would have value for a team out of the playoffs. Birdman [Chris Andersen] would have value for a playoff team but a playoff team is not trading you a quality [wing] for him.'
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So the overall outlook for the Heat's chances to upgrade their roster looks pretty dim at the moment. Cole is a strong perimeter defender, and Miami has a surplus of point guards with Mario Chalmers and rookie Shabazz Napier also on the squad.
But the minimal trade return Cole would command means he'll likely stay put. McRoberts is out with a torn meniscus, so it wouldn't even be worth shopping him at this point.
Then there's Andersen, one of the few imposing presences in the paint aside from emerging youngster Hassan Whiteside. Entering Wednesday, Miami ranked last in the Association in rebounds per contest, so it can't afford to ship away one of its premier paint defenders and rebounders.
Report: Heat Interested in Arron Afflalo
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN noted Wednesday that many teams are mulling the possibility of bringing Afflalo in, with the Heat being one of them:
To go back to Jackson's report for a minute: In it he mentions the fact that league rules won't allow Miami to trade a first-round pick until 2017. Such an asset happens to be the exact compensation Denver is seeking for Afflalo.
The help Afflalo would provide as a perimeter scorer can't be overestimated, especially with Dwyane Wade out of the lineup for the time being with a hamstring injury.
Cole is a defender first, Chalmers' shooting percentage has sunk from recent years and Napier is still acclimating to the NBA game as a rookie and not being offensively efficient in doing so.
The risk of Afflalo fleeing in free agency this summer in the unlikely event he went to the Heat is also tremendous—because of a Miami roster that's bereft of depth.
Based on his following comments directed at Nuggets coach Brain Shaw, one would find it hard to imagine Afflalo would take kindly to being traded to another losing team in the Heat (via CBS Denver's Mark Haas):
It just doesn't seem feasible for Miami to market anything of substance to Denver as the Nuggets try to rebuild, absent any more immediate first-rounders or viable perimeter players.
Denver is in complete disarray, so it will be seeking a suitor for Afflalo that can offer better compensation than the Heat.
Reports: Norris Cole, Danny Granger Mentioned in Trade Talks With Pistons
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Sources told Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes that Cole had been brought up in trade conversations with the Detroit Pistons, per a Jan. 27 report.
David Mayo of MLive.com followed up on Jan. 30 by indicating that Miami hoped to include Danny Granger in addition to Cole. It was a deal that would have sent versatile forward Jonas Jerebko to South Beach:
"There was a report by MLive's sister site Cleveland.com that the Pistons explored a trade with Miami for Norris Cole, which was accurate, according to one of my sources, but the Heat also wanted to throw in Danny Granger's contract, which includes a $2.1 million player option for next season, for Jonas Jerebko's expiring contract. That would have been a great move for a pre-injury Granger but a huge risk now for Detroit.
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Again, Jackson's report bears relevance in this instance, because he confirmed that this offer was on the table. Even Jerebko wouldn't be too much help to the Heat, as he's taken on a minimal role in Detroit this year as it is, logging just 15.3 minutes a game for another playoff bubble team.
Eric Reid of Fox Sports Florida offers Heat fans some consolation about the pieces the team does have at its disposal:
The fact that Cole and Granger have been pushed forward as Miami's primary trade assets, in lieu of any higher draft picks to offer, shows just how much of an impact LeBron James' departure had. Wade is aging and banged up, while Chris Bosh and Luol Deng are charged with carrying the team as Whiteside looms as an X-factor.
At least coach Erik Spoelstra still has Miami playing some of the best defense in the Association, thanks to a league-low snail pace of 91.85 possessions per 48 minutes, according to NBA.com.
That should help until Wade gets healthier for the close of the season. However, the Heat just don't have the means to add the necessary scoring punch to move considerably further up in the East hierarchy.
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