The Heat are discussing a trade with the Thunder that would send veteran forward Trevor Ariza to Miami, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets.
The Thunder have been seeking a second-round pick from the numerous playoff contenders showing interest in Ariza, O’Connor adds. Ariza has been away from the team all season, having been acquired in an offseason trade as a salary throw-in.
Ariza has a $12.8MM salary and the Heat are a hard-capped team, so they’d have to send out at least one player to match salaries. Miami has a $7.5MM trade exception that expires on Monday but Ariza’s salary wouldn’t fit into that slot.
Ariza, 35, appeared in a combined 53 games with Sacramento and Portland last season. He’d add some wing depth for Miami.
The Lakers are one of the other teams that have reportedly looked into acquiring Ariza.
Lakers have been in every Ariza rumor since he left
Maybe Meyers Leonard and a 2nd rounder for Ariza.
Nice call.
Probably gonna dump Iguodala cuz he’s cooked.
That makes the most sense, but Iggy would probably just sit out like Ariza.
Need someone to pair with him, not take him away…
My bet is Meyers Leonard, Mo Harkless and a second rounder for Ariza.
That’s not bad for a guy that has not played one second this season. I don’t even think they made him a jersey.
The Heat really don’t have any picks to trade. They only have seven picks over the next seven years and they are not allowed to trade at least three of them.
I think we are looking at something like
Heat get
Trevor Ariza
Thunder get
Kelly Olynyk
KZ Okpala
Leonard makes sense, but his salary is not big enough. I mean it can work, but it would put the Heat right up against the line so that if they had an injury of some sort, they couldn’t even sign a minimum guy. By sending Olynyk it would give the Heat enough room to maybe add a buyout guy as well as Ariza. There should be plenty of big men buyouts this year.
Why they would prefer ariza to olynyk who is playing so good?
And why okc would accept?
Leonard + harkless + one or two 2nds
Both sides will be happy
The Heat only have 2 2nds over the next 7 years and one of those is the lesser choice of Philly and Denver in 2022, which means it will likely be near the end of the draft. The other is in 2027. Teams do not have an unlimited supply of second round picks.
I laid out why the Heat would prefer the deal.
OKC would prefer the deal because they could get a young guy in Okpala and even have an audition for Olynyk to see if he meshes. Plus, Olynyk is an expiring deal while Leonard is under contract for next season as well. Why would they want to take on money next year unless they got a 1st round pick attached.
Leonard is a team option btw…
Ah was not aware of that. Basketball reference did not have that info. Thanx.
Heat Ariza
Thunder : KZ Okpala and Gabe Vincent
Salary match doesn’t work
I meant
Heat : Ariza and Hill
Thunder : Okpala and Vincent
Salary match doesn’t work a lot more.
If he looks like he did with Portland, I’m good with it, as long as it’s from the list of Leonard, Harkless, Avery Bradley, but otherwise, I’m thinking someone else…also, I’m not even sure he is the main person I’d want from them at those positions. I’ve been a fan of Kenrich Williams since he went undrafted, and he would be perfect for the Heat. I know they’ve obviously been connected to Ariza several times over the years, so maybe they’ll get the best out of what he has left
Assuming he has some semblance of health, Ariza would be a nice addition for a contending team.
I doubt though that the HEAT give-up KO or Precious for Ariza, even if KO is on a nice roll the past few games.
KO will have bad stretches of games where he can’t seem to make a shot or guard anyone, but these kind of stretch-bigs are hard to come by.
Okpala has been given PT (over Precious) during this HEAT streak – he still makes a lot of mistakes on offense, but he sure has huge upside as a very-switchable defensive forward.
It could be that the HEAT are showcasing Okpala for an eventual trade (to get some attention off of Precious). Who knows.
Cwr has the only reasonable trade attempt, rest of you over value ariza all day