Heat Trade Rumors: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh Only Players Not Available From Miami Heat?
Heat trade rumors have evolved into Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh getting mentioned. These new Miami Heat trade rumors were clarified by Ethan J. Skolnick at the Miami Herald on Monday, February 15. Skolnick reveals that Wade and Bosh are not available, but that the front office in Miami is willing to listen to trade proposals for everyone else on the roster.
Important to distinguish at deadline between listening & shopping. My understanding is the Heat will “listen” on everyone but Wade/Bosh.
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) February 15, 2016
The NBA trade deadline will hit on Thursday, February 18, meaning that teams are running out of time to make a deal. To this point, he player appearing in the most Miami Heat trade rumors is center Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside is a free agent at the end of the current NBA season, giving Miami a lot of incentive to deal him if the front office isn’t planning to offer him a max deal. As one of the best defensive big men in the league, a lot of teams have come calling. Apparently he isn’t the only player available.
Additional Miami Heat players who could be available in a trade include Amare Stoudemire, Justise Winslow, Udonis Haslem, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Goran Dragic, and Chris Anderson. The important word to take away from these Heat trade rumors is “listening,” though, as the team may not be actively shopping anyone other than Whiteside. It doesn’t mean any of them will be dealt, but that the front office in Miami is willing to pick up the phone and hear what might be offered.
At the NBA All-Star break, the Miami Heat are the fifth place team in the Eastern Conference. The team has a 29-24 record, putting them just one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the fourth seed and a chance to host a first-round playoff series. The danger for Miami, is that the team is also just 2 1/2 games ahead of the ninth place Detroit Pistons (27-27) showing how a cold streak could drop the team right out of the race for the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
With so much chatter around the NBA about what teams are looking for players and which teams might be selling at the deadline, it’s not entirely clear which information is factual. Some teams might be placing disinformation in the media to either distract from what they are really doing or keep their motives at the deadline a secret. The Boston Celtics might fall into that category, as Celtics team president Danny Ainge has good things to say about nearly every player who is available.
There are some big offseason questions coming for the Miami Heat, including what the team is going to do about Dwyane Wade. There are only four players currently under contract for the 2016-17 NBA season (Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Josh McRoberts, and Justise Winslow), possibly giving Miami a lot of room under the salary cap to pursue free agents. Luol Deng is a free agent, possibly making a player that the team could decide to trade in the short-term. Deng is having a down year, averaging just 10.6 points on 43 percent shooting.
With time running out before the NBA trade deadline, Heat president Pat Riley likely is definitely looking to improve the roster to make a real run in the 2016 NBA Playoffs. While there may be some Miami Heat trade rumors about the team breaking up the roster, it all comes down to whether Riley feels the roster is good enough to compete for a title. If he does not, Miami could trade away several pieces before February 18.
[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]
