The Miami Heat have yet to make any meaningful splashes in free agency or the trade market, but it remains far too early to count them out.
After a busy opening week of July, the two primary figures who might soon switch uniforms are Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz and DeMar DeRozan, most recently of the Chicago Bulls. Zach Lowe of ESPN reported on Friday, July 5, that Miami is officially among the several suitors in on the Markkanen sweepstakes.
“A pile of teams have shown interest in him including the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat and [Golden State] Warriors, sources said,” Lowe wrote.
Lowe went on to categorize the Heat as among the losers of free agency considering how much better the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers have apparently gotten over the last week or so, as well as how good the Boston Celtics remained after winning the NBA title in June.
“Miami barely got to play with Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro available together. Nikola Jovic made a leap that presaged another. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is legit. Miami could unlock enough future first-round picks to get into trade talks for some stars,” Lowe wrote. “But Boston widened the gap and shed the postseason shakes that troubled it in past series against Miami. The Heat are nearing a crossroads.”
Lauri Markkanen Can Offer Heat Much-Needed Offense at Reasonable Price
GettyLauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz.
Markkanen is a 7-foot stretch big man who has shot north of 39% from the 3-point line in each of the past two seasons on 7.7 and 8.0 attempts, respectively.
He’s also averaged 25.6 points and 23.2 points per game in his last two respective campaigns and rebounds well with a career mark of 7.3 boards per night. The Bulls underutilized Markkanen through the first four years of his career and he was an awkward fit during his fifth professional season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The court opened up for him upon his arrival in Utah, however, where the big man earned All-Star honors in 2022-23.
Markkanen is entering his age-27 season and is playing on the final year of a four-year contract worth just shy of $67.5 million in total. His salary cap hit is just north of $18 million in 2024-25 and the Heat could acquire him via trade, which makes his acquisition vastly more feasible than that of DeRozan, who is a free agent and likely looking to cash in one last payday prior to his age-35 campaign.
Lowe noted that Miami has some first-round picks to dangle as trade chips along with whatever young players the Jazz might want in return for Markkanen’s services. But the price is certainly going to be lofty and even if the Heat can pay it, the cost is going to cripple their draft portfolio for years to come.
Trading Jimmy Butler Feasible Path to Heat Adding New Talent
GettyJimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
Another option for Miami to get in the game for a splash acquisition is to trade Butler, the biggest name on their roster for the past five seasons.
Butler is heading into his age-35 season and has two years remaining on a three-year, $146.4 million contract. However, the final season is a player option, which means Butler’s is essentially an expiring deal during the upcoming campaign.
The star forward who has led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in the last five years sought an extension with Miami in recent weeks, but team president Pat Riley and the front office didn’t budge. Butler has since said he is no longer seeking an extension, which sets him up for unrestricted free agency next summer.
Any team interested in adding Butler and extending him immediately could be in the mix as a potential trade partner with the Heat either this summer or up until next season’s trade deadline. Or any team looking to get off of a big contract in an attempt to reset might find his de-facto expiring contract an attractive trade asset.
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Heat Interested in Trade for $67 Million 7-Footer With All-Star History: Report