The Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline is right around the corner, and trade speculation is at an all time high, particularly with the Miami Heat sitting in a strange limbo. They underachieved for a majority of the season with a starting five that everyone expected to do big things, only to get on track when an often-injured Amar’e Stoudemire stepped in and took the place of their young stud Hassan Whiteside.
The chemistry finally seemed good enough to get the team to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but many believe that the right trade could take them from decent to a status where they can compete while adding a shooter to the roster.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle has the team being able to set up trades for every one from Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol and Danilo Gallinari to Ryan Anderson and a combination of Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert or Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley. Such moves come with a price tag that Pat Riley would not seem willing to pay, though.
Moving Whiteside’s triple-double capability would not be a surprise, but almost expected with the way the Heat play without him on the floor, his growing frustration with fourth-quarter minutes and the fear of having to give him a max contract hanging in the background. Doolittle’s addition of Justise Winslow to a few of these trades seems far-fetched, though — especially when the rookie is being used as an all-purpose wing who guards the opponent’s best players in crunch time, rebounds and sets up the offense when in.
So dealing him would seem out of the question, let alone moving two of their four young pieces. Unless, of course, the proposed deal would put Miami over the top like when they traded Caron Butler and Lamar Odom for Shaquille O’Neal. And a blockbuster deal for Carmelo Anthony does not qualify — not after he said that his knee is yet to heal and that it has affected his shot.
The same goes for the team losing their entire perimeter defense by exchanging Winslow and Luol Deng for Gallinari. And Udonis Haslem’s untouchable status squashes any three-team deals for Gasol, leaving the previously discussed Anderson trade or a Boston Celtics move at the top of the list.
Bringing in Crowder and Bradley for Whiteside and Deng and an expiring contract would not only add scoring to the roster in the form of two players with 14 and 15 point averages, but it also fills the Heat void for three-point shooters (35 and 36 percent) who can also defend on the wing — with one taking the starting small forward position and the other shoring up the space left by Tyler Johnson‘s shoulder injury.
Being a contender for Miami might come down to taking a step back in order to have a team that actually fits, but one thing is for sure; there are no moves available that would be ground shaking enough to ship Winslow out of South Beach.
