Embracing the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal
If the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors can't recruit a desperate team like the Washington Wizards to help them push a Jimmy Butler blockbuster deal forward, perhaps they could turn to a team like the Brooklyn Nets. They are another team that could be in the market to get something done at the NBA Trade Deadline and could be looking to acquire young talent and/or draft capital for the future as well. There is a path toward the Heat being able to add some strong retooling weapons to their roster in this structured deal.
To start off, the Heat would get Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Dennis Schroder. The Warriors would acquire Jimmy and Day'Ron Sharpe, and the Nets would end up with Nikola Jovic, De'Anthony Melton, Kevon Looney, and three second-round picks (via GS). To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if the Nets would sign off on this move but if the interest does run dry on Schorder, trading him and Sharpe for a talented young forward, expiring deals, and three second-round picks is not the worst return for the team. I'm just not totally sure that's something they'd be willing to settle for.
But for the sake of this article, let's assume they would. For the Warriors, they would get their star and a quality backup center for the stretch run. Trading the multiple second-round picks, I can't imagine, would be that big of an issue for the team overall. For the Nets, there is value in adding Jovic in the place of a future first-round pick. He has a bright future in this league and I'm just not sure he was a great fit in Miami. With the addition of Kuminga in any Jimmy deal, that's the biggest reason why it would make sense for the Heat to include him in any deal.
I love this deal for the Heat more than I do for the Warriors and Nets. Miami will not only get their two new starters in the frontcourt but they could also move Duncan Robinson back to a reserve role off the bench while inserting Schroder as the starting point guard. Having one of the best seasons of his career, there's reason to believe that he could completely change the dynamic of this backcourt alongside Tyler Herro. Replacing three starters at this point in the season would be a huge gamble for the Heat but the argument could be made that this is exactly what the Heat need - a fresh start.