Chris Paul

Miami Heat rebuild will rely on ability to attack the trade market

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:28 p.m. ET

Fansided, Richard Nurse/FanSided via All U Can Heat

The Miami Heat’s long-term success rests in its ability to turn things around quickly, something Pat Riley vows to do.

Talk of tanking has dominated the first two months of the Miami Heat’s season–mainly because Pat Riley dubbed it as a year worthy of a rebuild. Though knowing the team president’s history has caused spectators to raise just as many questions as suggestions.

Would Riley stick to his usual forte of finding a quick fix or take the long-term view of collecting players and waiting out the process?

Thanks to a number of factors, the previous seems harder to pull of and the latter no longer feels like a possibility.

For instance, as part of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, players such as Stephen Curry are now subject to lucrative veteran extensions that will entice them to stay in their current homes. That is not to say that the league’s two-time Most Valuable Player would have ever left Golden State for Biscayne Bay, but it dulls any remote chance.

Couple that with the fact that signing the best friend (Chris Paul) of the last two superstars to walk away from your franchise is unlikely and that Russell Westbrook committed to at least one more year in Oklahoma City and thoughts of an offseason rebuild are crushed. However Riley still sees the Heat as having the best asset:

“You can’t get paralyzed by the cap or not being able to make room and being able to trade players. I think the No. 1 asset that we have right now is our flexibility moving forward. We have a first round pick this year. So we’re dealing with it. We’re dealing with that word that you hate to use – that we have to rebuild. But we will rebuild quick. I’m not going to hang around here for three or four years selling this kind of song to people in Miami.”

With only five players under guaranteed contracts for next season, three more with player options and three others on deals that can be released without consequence, Miami will be nowhere near paralyzed by the salary cap. Particularly when the remaining $75.9 million of Chris Bosh’s contract will likely be wiped clean on the February 9th anniversary of his last game played. Ultimately creating space for Riley to be able to absorb the contract of any disgruntled star that fills the team’s voids for next year.

So what about the Goran Dragic option?

Dec 7, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (center) is fouled by Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (left) as guard Goran Dragic (right) applies pressure during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Reports suggest that Miami is still on the fence when it comes to moving Goran Dragic or not:

“Miami’s Goran Dragic continues to surface as possibly the biggest fish to be had, but sources with the HEAT continue to say they are not ready to blow the team up; until that happens, Goran is not on the market…. HEAT sources said recently that keeping Dragic as the veteran leader wouldn’t be a bad thing, but conceded he might return a ton of value, which lines up with the league belief that the HEAT would explore moving him at or around the deadline.”

If moved, Dragic could possibly net the Heat the extra draft pick Riley covets. If not, the point guard’s 19.1 point, 6.7 assist and 4.1 rebound average would help solidify a roster that will be minus Bosh, plus a lottery pick and a up a star if Riley can finesse the Bosh situation.

Moves like these–as well as possibly moving its younger players like Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson to net veteran talent–may be the only way to salvage a quick turnaround if free agency does not have much to offer.