MIAMI — As their process again has shown these past few days, the NFL draft is about draft picks, the newcomers, the next wave of rookies.
The NBA draft, by contrast, is one of the busiest times of the personnel calendar when it comes to veteran talent, when deals are sealed on the eve of the process, or during the process, or immediately after targeted selections are consummated. It is why the logo of the draft-night hat shortly thereafter often won’t match the ensuing jersey logo.
Which brings us to the draft process that soon will follow south of the Miami Dolphins headquarters, or, more to the point, the draft-related process that will begin for Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Miami Heat front office after the May 10 draft lottery.
From there it will be go-time, when better reads, because of the setting of draft positions, can be established for potential personnel moves, be it Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant or otherwise.
Which, as always, brings it to what will be taken to market.
For a team that has won a single playoff game — game, not series — over the past three years, change has to be inevitable. That means moves that come at a cost.
Bam Adebayo: This would mean a complete teardown for a team that doesn’t do complete teardowns.
Dwyane Wade was retained for Shaquille O’Neal and then LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Goran Dragic was retained for Jimmy Butler. Jimmy Butler was retained for, gulp, Kyle Lowry and, double-gulp, Terry Rozier.
Only an immense draft package could even create a degree of sway, and even then, would have to be accompanied by expiring, non-cap-clogging contracts.
Put another way, the Heat won’t trade Bam Adebayo for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Tyler Herro: After years of rumors, there is practically no way for the Heat to keep Herro’s name out during the upcoming trade cycle.
Due $33 million, Herro could stand as the lone large salary for the Heat to utilize in a swing for the fences, considering Norman Powell is an impending free agent and that Andrew Wiggins could opt into free agency.
Beyond Adebayo’s $49.8 million for next season and Herro’s $33 million, the next largest contract on the Heat’s 2026-27 books, if Powell and Wiggins are not in the trade mix, would be Davion Mitchell’s $12.4 million.
Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins: To include Powell in a trade, it would mean he either would have to be extended by June 30 or agree to a Heat-designated destination in a sign-and-trade agreement after June 30.
As for Wiggins, it would be difficult to envision him opting in solely to be moved in a deal, or, for that matter, allowing the Heat to dictate a sign-and-trade destination. If Wiggins opts out and then re-signs, he then could not be dealt until Dec. 15, if not part of a sign-and-trade agreement.
This is why the Heat should have moved in advance at this past season’s trade deadline in February, rather than the fantasy of believing they were contenders.
Kel’el Ware: If there is a trade, arguably any trade, then Ware likely would appear headed elsewhere.
The question is that he is on such a cap-favorable deal — due $4.7 million next season on his rookie-scale deal — that ample salary ballast likely would have to be added. That, in turn, likely would compromise both Heat depth and the team’s developmental pipeline.
Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic: As mentioned above, Mitchell, at $12.4 million for next season, holds the only Heat value salary for next season between Herro’s $33 million and Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s $5.9 million.
Actually, Nikola Jovic is due $16.2 million for next season, but that is at the start of a four-year extension. At this point, Jovic’s contract would be more an offload than an enticement, perhaps a vehicle to be utilized in taking on Ja Morant’s money.