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In October, an NBA executive told Heavy Sports that the Miami Heat know that they have a hole at their big man position and are expected to address it this winter. The Heat have been said to be “re-energized” in trade talks ahead of February’s trade deadline for not only Jae Crowder but other players too. This expectation comes as Caleb Martin became trade eligible on December 15, and Dewayne Dedmon and Victor Oladipo will be available to be dealt on January 15.
One player that the Heat have been linked to in potential future trade talks has been Kyle Kuzma, who ‘wants out‘ from the Washington Wizards. But a December 26 report from Marc Stein shares that Kuzma is expected to be available ahead of this February’s trade deadline.
“There’s a rising belief leaguewide that Kuzma is gettable between now and the February 9 trade deadline as a result because the Wizards might ultimately be forced to concede that they have to trade him before the buzzer to ensure they don’t lose him for nothing. Based on the rumbles I’ve heard, I struggle to envision Kuzma wanting to stay in the nation’s capital beyond this season,” Stein wrote on his Substack.
Kyle Kuzma Linked to Miami Heat
Kuzma was linked to the Heat in October by Heavy NBA Insider Sean Deveney in a proposed Duncan Robinson trade.
“The Wizards have been loathe to rebuild as long as they have Bradley Beal on the roster, and perhaps that will continue. But should they begin looking to the future, Kuzma would find himself on the block. He is not the bruiser the Heat might like at power forward, but he’d add a scoring dimension to the position that the team lacks,” Deveney wrote.
If they were to look to rebuild and find the Heat as a trade partner, Deveney proposed that Robinson and a pick would be the asking price.
Heat Receive: Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson
Wizards Receive: Duncan Robinson and a first-round pick (2027)
Heat Have Need at Power Forward
The Heat have known they have a need at power forward since before the season. Caleb Martin hasn’t been awful in the starting role, but depth is a needed upgrade for this underachieving Heat squad.
“They have known they have a hole there, and the first option was always, ‘Let’s see if we can fix it from within.’ They’re trying that with (Caleb) Martin, but that might be asking too much of him. Martin could wind up being a key to it because they can’t trade him until January because he just signed, but he has some value. They’ve tried to see what’s there for Duncan Robinson, but there really is not much of a market unless you get a team willing to play him for a year and try to flip his contract next summer. They tried with Phoenix for Jae Crowder, but Phoenix did not want Robinson,” an Eastern Conference Executive told Deveney.
Another reason to deal for Kuzma is the offensive support that he brings. The Heat currently ranks 26th in the NBA for their offensive rating. Having another offensive threat to take pressure off of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. This season he is averaging an impressive 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game for the Washington Wizards. Scoring and production that the Heat would welcome and be an upgrade over Martin and Robinson.
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