BREAKING: We Have A Trade! Heat And Nets Make A Deal

BREAKING: We Have A Trade! Heat And Nets Make A Deal

Breaking news. We have a trade. Actually, kind of an interesting one. Not the big headline names, but the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets make a move. We’re going to talk about what this means for both teams and what it means for the trade market at large. I’m Trevor Le. This is the Basketball Bulletin. Make sure you hit that subscribe button and turn on those notifications as well. We’ve said it before, 70% of you, you’re not subscribed. Let’s fix that. Hit that subscribe button. Joining me is Donnie Freeman. Donnie, I I mean, this is obviously big time shifting the balance of power around the NBA. No, it’s a salary dump. Here we’ve got the Miami Heat trading Haywood Heismith and a 2032 second round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for a protected 2026 second round pick. I believe it’s a top 55 protected. It in other words, it’s it’s what we call a nothing something. It’s something just because something has to be in the trade coming from the Nets to the Heat, but really it’s it’s actually nothing. Um, you know what? I shouldn’t laugh at those cuz some guys have been drafted pretty late in that second round that have been pretty good. So, are you are you talking about Bronny James? I I wasn’t, but I guess because he was also the 55th pick. The guy I always go to, of course, is the is the great Isaiah Thomas. Yeah, he was who I was thinking of, right? Yes. Yeah. Uh Sean’s also notes Brooklyn has remained active in trade conversations as the league’s only team with remaining significant cap space and takes Highmith in with an unprotected second rounder. The Nets also have acquired two first this off season to add to the most first and second round picks in the league. So I mean the Nets side of this Donnie is very very simple. The Nets are adding Haywood Heismith at $5.6 million an expiring contract for this for this year. Um, so no long-term money coming onto their books, but in exchange for taking on Heywood Heismith, uh, the Nets are going to wind up getting a second round pick as payment. And that’s not, you know, Heywood Heismith, first of all, he could play, you know, he he started almost half the games that he played last season or actually a little bit over half the games that he played last season for the Miami Heat and at just $5.6 $6 million as a wing, you know, like it wouldn’t be impossible if the Nets are in full tank mode for them to actually flip him midseason and turn him into something else. Like he’s the type of switchy wing type player that teams will sometimes have interest in. So I wouldn’t put it past the Nets from turning him into further value, but at the very least they paid $5.6 million for a serviceable player and they get their key here is they get a second round pick for their trouble. Yeah, he’s a three andd wing and they have had a couple of those guys and they’ve been able to get rid of some of those guys over the last couple of years. So maybe they see something similar here to where there could be a market for trading for one of those guys. I mean, we always talk about how and obviously the other guys were of better caliber, but we always talk about how this is like the most coveted player type in the NBA for a lot of these teams because you can never have enough of the wings is the saying, right? And he’s been able to show the three ball. He’s not able to score great from other areas, but he has been pretty efficient as a three-point shooter, but his main skill is his defense. And I do think he is a NBA rotation wing. And you could see one of these teams that’s just a wing away, a little bit defensive away, uh, a little bit of defensive um, talent away and they could maybe call up Brooklyn for a 5 million guy. That’s not hard to swing. Yeah. I mean, if they are just a just a wing away, a wing away, a wing away, they could every time with you. I know it’s it’s a problem. Um they they could ultim I’m not saying he would get top value, but it’s possible that the Nets could if the Nets assuming or they are tanking uh this coming season that they could flip highmith into maybe another second rounder or something like that in February. And so that’s something to keep an eye on where they could pivot this into even more value. Um not the same but kind of similar to what we saw Utah do in the John Collins deal. they they got a second round pick in the deal and then they turned around and got more by using the cap space that they or or the trade exception that they got in that trade. So that could be something that that we see here. But Highmith the brings the second round pick and brings as you said a veteran on the wing that can be a bit switchy for them. Yeah, this is great for Cam because uh they’re gonna help him out on defense and all that stuff. That’s great. They need more of these types of guys around him. So, you can just put the ball in Cam’s hands and and not have him worry about anything. Really quick, I didn’t realize that uh that they had so many picks. I mean, I pulled it up. They currently own 13 first round picks. It could shrink to 12 depending on what happens with Philly, but they’ve quietly amassed a lot of picks over there in Brooklyn. That’s why that Bridges trade was so great. The future is bright in Brooklyn. It’s it’s actually like very reminiscent of what has gone on with OKC over the last few years where they just had a boatload of picks in their, you know, in their uh cupboard there that they could pull from and use and draft these guys or put into other deals. And so, yeah, that Bridges trade was pretty insane. And I guess we could liken it a little bit to the PG trade. Uh but not not to the same extent of course times a trade that provided I’m not going there yet to turn into significant that turned into a championship by the way. So like I I’m not going there but just you know in terms of asset amount like getting all those picks back for Bridges is pretty great. Yeah. Um and they’ve also got seconds too. I mean, I’m I’m really looking at Brooklyn and maybe this is why they’re apprehensive about putting out that money because they’ve got so much flexibility with these picks and and the the flexibility with the uh salary cap like they could I mean, do we see them make another swing for star players for like the what fourth time in the last 10 years or something? I kind of hope Brooklyn just builds now if Giannis becomes available for Brooklyn. Okay, maybe that’s a different story. But otherwise, I kind of hope Brooklyn just builds around their their treasure trove of draft picks and just kind of builds it up the the right way from there. Now, this is why when people were asking, why are Dron Sharp and Zyra Williams still not signed? Why is that still not done? Because Brooklyn is preserving that flexibility. You mentioned Cam Thomas. They’re trying to keep that flexibility going forward here. And that’s so they can absorb salary, pick up more assets, and then once they’re done doing that, they’ll sign these guys. We don’t know what’s going to happen with Cam Thomas. I think he’s the most likely of the big four that are the RFAS, the restricted free agents that are sitting out there to actually play on the qualifying offer. So, that situation is still unresolved. But future is bright with the Brooklyn Nets. They’ve got tons of draft capital. They make this move now. They pick up another second round pick, a serviceable player in Haywood Highmith. Uh, and now if they can just get Michael Porter Jr. to stop going on podcast, then life will be good. Life will be good. Um, he’s been making a lot of news lately, man. Oh god. Brooklyn Brooklyn is like, “Stop putting a microphone in front of this man.” All right. Um, let’s jump over though to Miami. I think this is interesting from Miami side. And Heat fans may not like this, but they might. There is reason why this could end up being really good for Miami. So, on the surface, what Miami has done here is they’ve paid a second round pick, and what this it has allowed them to do is drop below the luxury tax. That’s what’s going to happen here. Their tax space right now, $1.3 million uh over it. Now, they will drop below the luxury tax. So, in and of itself, that is important. Fans typically don’t care about this stuff because it’s not your money, right? That’s the way that it goes. But for the Miami Heat, dropping when you’re just barely over the tax, teams are going to want to drop below because not only do you then not pay the luxury tax, but the teams around the NBA who are paying the luxury tax write you a check. If you’re a non- tax team, the teams that are paying the tax, all that money goes into a pool and it gets distributed out to the non- tax teams. So, it’s a big swing. We talk about 5.6 million in savings for the heat. It’s a lot more than that because you’re actually not only ducking the luxury tax, which would have added a penalty onto your salaries that are on the books, but you’re also getting a check from your competitors. So, it’s a big big swing where we’re talking about millions upon millions of dollars. So, from a financial perspective, it’s worth it. The other thing, though, is this drops Miami to 13 players under contract, which means they have to sign someone else. And they do have enough room below the tax to now sign a veteran minimum contract, assuming all the numbers shake out the way we’re expecting them to. And so, there’s something else coming here for Miami. per league rules. It doesn’t have have to happen today, but per league rules, they have to be at 14 full contracts on their books. 14 standard contracts. So, there’s something else coming for Miami. So, it may not be quite as damning as we just traded away Haywood Highmith and got back nothing. They could go make a signing. Now, there’s not a lot still out there in free agency, but they can still replace him and stay below the tax, accomplish that goal, and maybe get a veteran off the market or something. Yeah. And that’d be pretty cool for them, of course, to be able to potentially bolster depending on which way they go, of course, but probably I would assume it’s probably like a guard or something like that that they’re adding in and bolster the back court a little bit. But to me, I just I I would prefer if they were operating more from a standpoint of trying to accumulate assets at this point just just for me personally because I don’t know where this team is trying to go right now. And so trading out a player, you know, things like that with an asset. I don’t really know if that’s the right decision. And fans don’t necessarily care about the tax piece. I get that it’s much more than that. and it allows them to make another move while staying below the tags which is great but fans don’t typically care about that. So that’s where it’s kind of you know weird I guess. So especially when it’s a 67 wing who shot uh 38% from three last season like teams are always looking for guys that are that skill set. Now, he’s not the best player in the world or anything, but to pay an asset to get rid of him. Like, I get the financial piece and maybe, who knows, maybe they go get I mean, Russell Westbrook is out there, Malcolm Brockton is I’m not connecting them to any of these players. I’m just saying these are some of the guys that are still out there. Uh the Anthony Melton is still out there, Al Horford is still out there. Right? If something is falling apart with the Warriors, maybe there’s a big surprise and oh my gosh, now they got that guy and it and it looks so much better. But otherwise, I agree with you. I don’t know that this is what Miami should be doing, particularly in a wideopen uh Eastern Conference. They might have been I mean, we were just talking about how Brooklyn could swing him. I mean, couldn’t Miami do the same thing? Like just swing them later if they wanted to do so? Like I again, it’s just I think it’s only about the money avenue here because I even though the East is wide open, I don’t think they see themselves going the distance or anything like that. But you but you bring up a good point though, like why do this right now? Why why do this now? Why not wait and see if you can get something for Heywood Heismith later? That makes me think that some of the urgency here from Miami is telling that they’re doing this now for a reason. Maybe they’ve got somebody they really want to give a full spot to. I don’t know. It could very well be that it’s just the they’re just creating the the tax savings and that’s it. That could be it. But from a Miami perspective, I hope that’s not what this ultimately is. I mean, they were a 3745 team last year. And they are they much better? No. So, you know, I mean, the Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman, who does a great job covering the team, said the moves to to move below the luxury tax. Um, I just Yeah, but my Are they that bad to where they shouldn’t like they’re not tanking? Well, it’s not about being that bad. It’s about do you think you have a chance to win at all? And do we think they have a chance to win at all? No. No. Like even if even if they made it through the East again, which would actually be really cool. Um because they’ve done it twice in the last like five years. They’re not they’re not going anywhere, right? So yeah, it’s all just about that. And that that’s why I refuse to have a positive spin on it from the Heat side of things because I don’t I don’t like like I I know that again it makes the savings for them and all that stuff and that’s great, right? But in terms of like putting your best roster out there, I don’t know what this does for you because you’re not bringing back a better player. You may not be getting a better player on the market just in terms of what you need depend even even if that player has a you know Russell or a better cashier or whatever. Um, and aside from that, I think they should be trying to accumulate assets. I think there’s a lot of questions with this team. I think they should stop playing hard ball with some of their guys like Wiggins, and I think they should try to accumulate the assets and put pieces around Bam while they still can. I mean, Bam’s about to balloon into a bigger contract. You’d think they’d be more urgent about this stuff, but I don’t know. Well, you know what? We’re going to find out a lot about what Miami’s plans are here with what they do on the extended front with Tyler Hero. What does that look like? Um, Andrew Wiggins, they’re demanding a high asking price for him, which is interesting because we’ve got a they’re obviously not the same player. Not nowhere near, but still similar type of role skill set, right? He’s just better. Yeah. But Wiggins isly better. But, um, but still, yeah, they will they lower their asking price on Wiggins. I don’t know. There were a bunch of people in our comments that said Wiggins is properly valued at, you know, an impact player in a first round pick. And I think Wiggins is a really good player. I think he could be a part of their core. Like they don’t have to move Wiggins. I just I think that if I personally, if I’m Miami, if I’m not tearing this down, I’m getting pretty close to it. Like there’s some pieces here I like. Um you’re hoping for Hakeis to bounce back. I like uh Yoic. I like Kell Wear obviously like Bam and Hero. Uh, I can I can see Wiggins, but you probably need another guy in that number oneish, number two type slot for this team as well, which is pretty hard to get. If you walk away with Giannis all of a sudden somehow someway, if they finally land one of those guys, that’s an entirely different thing. But as they typically don’t land those guys, I’m not expecting it. So, where do you go from there? I mean, is that core good enough to go the entire way? And I don’t I don’t personally think it is. So, you see this move as an admission from Miami that this team’s not it personally? Yeah. Yeah. And I’m not trying to if I sound like a hater, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to hate. I’m just trying to be realistic. So, like I you know, it’s not the kind of move that you typically see a team that says, “Hey, we’ve got a shot make.” Right. Yeah. Um so, it’s a fair it’s a fair spot to arrive at. Now again, this changes if tomorrow, surprise, Miami fills their open roster spot with I mean, I guess the ideal name would be Al Horford, right? Miami adds Al Horford or something then. And obviously, he’s already been very strongly connected for a while now to the Golden State Warriors, but we’ll see what they do with that roster spot. Um, what they do with Tyler Herro will tell us about their intentions moving forward. But yeah, I mean Miami is in a weird spot right now where they’re not good enough to really make a push forward in the East. They save some money by making this move, but does that make them better this year? Probably not, depending on who they wind up going and adding to fill their final roster spot then. Yeah. Um the good thing with Miami is looking at their roster or their uh picks and stuff. They’ve done a great job of keeping their own pick. So, they control their destiny in terms of like what they do here. Um, and if they wanted to tear it entirely down and build from scratch, they could do that. I just don’t get that vibe from them. And I don’t think they have to go that far. They’ve got at least a couple pieces in place and they’ve got some young guys that could be a part of something for a prolonged build if they needed to do that. But I just would have preferred if they were in accumulation mode and and thinking more forward because I don’t think they’re doing that right now personally, especially when we’re looking at you’ve got Norman Powell. You went and traded for him. You like what are they doing with that, right? I mean, but you but I’m saying like you’ve got some good players on this team that can that can win you games. Yeah, I’d like to see them more like adding to this roster. And and again, maybe there is a path forward here where they’re ultimately wind up they’re ultimately going to wind up uh doing something else with the flexibility they’re gaining from this. But we’ll have to see it. It’s a bit It’s still a bit surprising to see them do a salary dump, even if the math makes sense. And it makes me I I just have to think Heat fans. I got to think there’s something else coming. Well, we know there is because they have to put something in that spot, right? But watch it be like a two-way guy conversion or something like that, right? I mean, but what I will say is they look pretty interesting looking at their sheet for the following off season. Uhhuh. They’ve got a lot of 728. They look really good there. And that’s right now. Maybe they do extend Hero. Maybe he takes more than 30. Who knows, right? But that offseason, they look pretty interesting, but they’re still a couple years away from that. Yep. Yep, they are. All right, everybody. Well, again, we got a a breaking trade. Give us your thoughts. The Haywood Highmith leaving the Miami Heat, joining the Brooklyn Nets. Do you like it for Brooklyn? Do you like what Miami is doing? What is Miami doing? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section down below. Don’t forget to subscribe right here to the channel. Till next time everybody. See you and stay safe.

In this video Trevor Lane and Donnie Freeman discuss the trade of Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets. What is Miami REALLY up to? And what will the Nets do with these picks?

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