The Miami Heat has been the subject of trade speculation even after acquiring two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in June.
The Heat has gone to great lengths to optimize Antetokounmpo, from also acquiring Bobby Portis in the same deal to making multiple high-level free-agent signings, most notably Klay Thompson, the fourth-most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history.
With the Heat’s roster mostly set after a busy offseason, many are wondering if the team has all the pieces needed to compete for a championship in Year 1 of Antetokounmpo. While it isn’t often that a team in the first year with a new superstar wins a championship — Miami fans know that especially well after the Big Three era — it feels like the Heat has those expectations already.
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As long as the rumor mill keeps spitting out names, the Antetokounmpo-led Heat will be in the mix. One player who is often the cool kid in trade rumors is New Orleans Pelicans star Trey Murphy III. Although the Pelicans have been ever-resistant to relinquish Murphy, Heat Roundtable’s Sean Jordan believes there is a scenario where Miami could get its hands on Murphy, and it could involve moving star forward Andrew Wiggins.
“Murphy has proven he can score at a solid rate. The only unknown at this point is how much New Orleans values him,” Jordan wrote. “There have been many different reports throughout this offseason claiming they want multiple first-round picks in return but who knows? Murphy is under contract through 2028-29 and it would make sense for the Pelicans to value him highly. A trade for Murphy would most likely include Wiggins and a pick or two and that may seem like a lot of outgoing value but if the Heat want to get younger following an offseason of adding a bunch of veterans, this is definitely a route to consider.”
Murphy has generated plenty of trade interest around the NBA this summer, with league insider Kevin O’Conner reporting recently that he’s “heard (the Pelicans) want three first round draft picks while others say “that it’s maybe even more than that, which seems absolutely insane” to him.
The Pelicans have even received strong criticism from fans for resisting roster moves despite coming off a 26-win regular season. But general manager Joe Dumars was recently adamant that the team explored deals but wasn’t quite sold on making a decision.
“We were engaged in a lot of conversations with a lot of different teams,” Joe Dumars told The Times-Picayune, via NOLA.com. “But at the end of the day, you’ve got to make a determination if this is the right deal or not. You don’t want to make a move for the sake of making a move. It has to be right for us.”
Could Miami Make a Move for Murphy?
Murphy hasn’t been rampantly speculated as a Heat trade target like veteran guards Kyrie Irving and Jrue Holiday have, but the 26-year-old Pelicans star has been connected to many teams through trade rumors for multiple years.
Recently, Heat insider Barry Jackson shot down any hopes of another Heat blockbuster this offseason, but he did say a major move could take shape down the line.
“Quick answer: At the moment, nobody. But that could change at February’s trade deadline,” Jackson wrote for the Miami Herald. “It could change next summer, if a former All-Star past his prime decides to sign with the Heat for the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception, a mechanism Miami has preserved for the 2027 offseason.”
As for Murphy, the Heat’s glaring roster need is at point guard, not on the wing, where Wiggins has been a reliable, steady option for the team since being acquired in a February 2025 trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.
The Heat showed its commitment to Wiggins this offseason, awarding the 30-year-old former All-Star with a three-year, $64 million contract extension after he opted into his $30 million player-option for the 2026-27 season.
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