Report: Heat ‘want to see’ what a trade package of Duncan Robinson, Dewayne Dedmon, 1st round pick fetches

Feb 7, 2023 - 1:00 AM

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It’s safe to say that the Miami Heat, who are 29-25 and a half-game removed from play-in territory, have had an underwhelming season. Sitting 3.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 5 seed and four out of the 4-seeded Brooklyn Nets — who are almost certainly bound to dip in lieu of dealing Kyrie Irving — the Heat, Knicks and Atlanta Hawks will likely be jostling for the No. 6 seed for the next several weeks.

That said, there’s moves to be made with less than 72 hours until the Feb. 9 NBA Trade Deadline; similarly to the Heat, the Knicks and Hawks, as well as the Cavs and the East’s holy trinity might be looking to add, too. Whether deals get complete — and the respective costs — will be determined by Thursday afternoon.

Even though the Heat have reportedly been linked to an abundance of names — big and small — there’s also the inverse: Players they;re looking to part with. For the most part, you have to give something to get something.

And according to the Locked On Heat podcast, the Heat “want to see” what a package of Duncan Robinson, Dewayne Dedmon and a first-round pick could get back in a possible trade.

“I do think the appetite to move a first-round pick this summer wasn’t as high as it is now,” Heat reporter Wes Goldberg said on Sunday’s podcast. “I think they’re more willing to trade (a 2023 first-round pick) now for a player isn’t necessarily a short-term play, but somebody that fits — whether it’s next to Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt or is somebody who can help improve their 26th-ranked offense — whatever it is, I think they’re willing to move a first-round pick for the right player who can age with this group.

“Duncan Robinson plus Dewayne Dedmon plus a first-round pick — I think that Miami is shopping that package and seeing what they can get for it. Maybe you add a Nikola Jovic, or a Max Strus or second-rounders or whatever it is. But for a starting point, you’re calling other GMs and saying ‘Would (this package) be of any interest? What would you be willing to give up for something like this?’ I don’t know if the Heat are going to get anything for that.”

It’s not surprising that Robinson or Dedmon have been brought up in trade talks. Robinson has had an up-and-down last three seasons with the Heat and is making nearly $17M this season, looking as perhaps the most likely salary filler for any player(s) with bigger contracts. He’s currently sidelined with a finger injury, which might complicate matters during negotiations.

Dedmon, making $4.7M this season with non-guaranteed $4.3M for 2023-24, has been a net-negative behind All-Star big Bam Adebayo this season, averaging only 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 30 games. He went scoreless with three fouls and finished a minus-eight on Saturday against Milwaukee, his first appearance since getting suspended after tossing a Theragun onto the court mid-game.

The Heat have made only five first-round picks — Justise Winslow, Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Precious Achiuwa and Nikola Jovic — since LeBron James left in 2014, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Miami traded its 2023 first-round pick, which is available for them to move either now or before/during draft night (in the offseason) if it chooses to.

Though the questions Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg have to ask is this: Should the team deal its first-round pick — in a supposedly loaded draft (we won’t honestly know until at least a couple seasons have passed) — for assets if the final product is still steps from competing with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics in a potential Eastern Conference Finals scenario? And if they do, who are those players coming back? And what’s the additional cost on top of just the pick?

But that’s if the right deal came across their desk. With multiple of its tradeable assets are either hurt or have regressed — or both — it’s inherently harder to substantially upgrade your roster for the short- and long-term. Miami could’ve cashed-in during the offseason. It didn’t, and the value has considerably dipped since then. With assets that aren’t as favorable, you’re likely going to attach picks for bigger upgrades — thus making long-term improvement a more difficult task.

This week is a big week for Miami to potentially re-tool its roster heading into the season’s final 28 games, especially if it has any hopes on competing. It’s expected that Dedmon and/or Robinson will be moved — perhaps together or in separate deals — but other moves to fill in the margins will be really telling on how much progress they can make not just this season, but in the future as well.