The Miami Heat chose to make a move before the NBA trade deadline. In a trade with the OKC Thunder, they will add another helpful wing to add to their rotation alongside Jimmy Butler.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Miami Heat and OKC Thunder finalized a trade that would feature Trevor Ariza. In exchange, the Thunder received Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick.
“ESPN Sources: Oklahoma City is finalizing a trade to send Trevor Ariza to the Miami Heat for Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick. Leonard must still waive his no-trade clause because of the one-year Bird restriction on his deal, which he’s expected to do for Miami.”
After getting off to a slow start to the NBA season, the Miami Heat have managed to completely turn things around. Now, they are riding a five-game winning streak and have won 9 of their previous 10 games.
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It’s unclear how much of an impact Trevor Ariza will even be able to provide for the Miami Heat. He has sat out all of this season and hasn’t been impactful since departing the Houston Rockets. Could the extended time off help him to turn things around?
There isn’t much risk involved in this trade for the Heat. Meyers Leonard was not going to play for the team for the rest of the season when considering his injury and off-court remarks. Meanwhile, Ariza is playing on a $12.8 million expiring contract.
Even if Trevor Ariza ends up not making much an impact, the Miami Heat have the option of just allowing him to walk in free agency during the upcoming NBA offseason. They would still have freed up cap space had they kept Meyers Leonard and declined his team option.
