When it comes to the number of free agents each NBA team is looking at heading into the summer, as of Thursday, the only two squads with a higher number than the Miami Heat are the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, who both boast 11. The Heat and New York Knicks are right behind the pair of Western Conference teams at 10 apiece.
It’s important to note these figures include both unrestricted and restricted free agents, athletes with player options, and organizations with team options.
With the whopping number of possible movers this off-season from South Beach though, does that make Miami a potential trade partner for the Golden State Warriors? According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, that could very well be the case.
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Buckley recently took a look at some “Bold NBA Trade Ideas” for big names like Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, and Kemba Walker. There’s one more mentioned in the post though that connects the Heat and Warriors and would bring a pair of very intriguing pieces to Dub Nation, but would cost quite a hefty price.
Wiggins, Wiseman, Paschall, 3 First-Round Picks All Going to Miami
GettyDraymond Green, Eric Paschall, Brad Wanamaker and Andrew Wiggins of the of the Golden State Warriors.
Before we reveal who would be coming to the Bay Area in the proposed blockbuster, there’s a lot to sift through on the giving away end of things.
Miami Heat receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Eric Paschall, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick and 2026 first-round pick (top-three protected)
That’s quite a haul for the Warriors to give up. They’d obviously be getting a lot in return but we’ll get to that in a bit. While trading away a future first-round pick is risky, this one is much further down the road, and is not completely guaranteed at that.
In five years, who knows where the Heat, Warriors and rest of the Association will be? The other pieces are where it could come back to bite Golden State.
Though James Wiseman had a roller-coaster rookie season and has been dangled in trade rumors unlike any other member of the roster so far, the dude was still the number two overall pick only a year ago and is a 7-footer with uber-potential. Wiggins has been a relative bust in the league, at least as a former number one overall pick, but he’s still only 26, and is quietly coming off of a solid first full season with the Warriors.
“For the Heat, they’d pivot into a rebuild around Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman (or whatever he’d bring back in a trade if they don’t like his fit with Adebayo) and a suddenly strong asset collection,” Buckley wrote.
Then there are the pair of 2021 draft picks and Eric Paschall, which would go to Miami as well.
“Eric Paschall could inject some second-team scoring, the picks could be developed or traded, and the cap space could be splurged on an up-and-comer who fits the core like John Collins, Lonzo Ball, Gary Trent Jr. or Talen Horton-Tucker,” Buckley wrote.
That makes it six pieces being traded from Golden State in the potential deal and although the recent draft lottery win helped provide flexibility to move one of the first-rounders, moving both seems excessive if you don’t receive a player in his prime in return.
Jimmy Buckets, Iggy Landing With Dubs for Defense, Playoff Experience
GettyJimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala of the Miami Heat and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Five of the 2020 NBA Finals.
With the Warriors unloading so much in this proposed trade, they’d obviously get a high-caliber player in return. What Buckley offers up is a 31-year-old five-time All-Star and a 37-year-old former Warriors’ Finals MVP.
Golden State Warriors receive: Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala
Well that would sure make things interesting for next fall’s season-opener. Not only would the addition of Jimmy Butler give the Dubs an almost unfair “Big Four”, but former Warriors hero Andre Iguodala would be reuniting with some teammates as well.
“Would Heat president Pat Riley, 76 years young and competitive as all get out, ever sign off on a rebuild? Probably not,” Buckley conceded. “But if he was ever open to the idea, this might secretly be the right summer to explore it. … Get Butler to Golden State with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and a healthy Klay Thompson, though, and the Dubs could be on the light-years expressway to title contention.”
Though that quartet of star players would on paper, be a title favorite, there are always two sides to an argument.
“This wouldn’t be without risk for the Warriors, since their core four would all be on the wrong side of 30, and both Curry and Butler can hit unrestricted free agency in 2022,” Buckley wrote. “But considering the reward is a world title, that might be a risk worth taking.”
It should be a fascinating next few weeks for the Warriors with the 2021 NBA Draft just 28 days away.
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NBA Analyst’s Proposed Warriors-Heat Megadeal Brings Back Finals MVP