Ranking Heat’s Top Trade Targets After 2024 NBA Playoff Loss

Ranking Heat’s Top Trade Targets After 2024 NBA Playoff Loss0 of 3

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After an improbably run to the NBA finals last season, the Miami Heat were eliminated in the first round this time around.

The Heat escaped the play-in tournament, but they were no match for the No. 1 seeded Boston Celtics after falling in five games.

While everyone wondered whether this club might flip the proverbial switch again, this early loss might reveal some flaws in the franchise formula. More than anything, the Heat just don’t have an overwhelming amount of talent.

The trade market could offer a chance to correct that, though.

3. Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons1 of 3

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The Heat need more size, whether that’s alongside or behind Bam Adebayo. They also have a standing order for more stretchiness in the frontcourt.

Isaiah Stewart could check both boxes.

The 6’8″, 250-pounder uses his insatiable energy and sweeping 7’4″ wingspan to play bigger than his size, and he can provide a helpful presence in paint protection and glass-cleaning. He also showed his most promise (by a mile) as a perimeter shooter this season, averaging 1.5 three-pointers while canning 38.3 percent of his long-range looks.

After enduring four disastrous seasons in Detroit, he might relish the opportunity of landing in a more competitive environment. Miami, meanwhile, shouldn’t have a problem plugging someone with his energy and fight into its famed culture.

2. Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls2 of 3

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If the Heat are fully committed to the Tyler Herro-Terry Rozier backcourt—Herro is signed through 2026-27, Rozier’s 2025-26 salary is nearly fully guaranteed—they’ll need as many perimeter defenders as they can get.

Few are better in that role than Alex Caruso, who should have done enough to earn his second consecutive All-Defensive honor.

Caruso blends energy, intelligence and skill in a way that’d make Miami fans think he was long ago schooled in the ways of Erik Spoelstra. Caruso understands that playing hard is a skill, and he never comes up short in that category. He’s also versatile enough to fit it any conceivable role, meaning he could slot up alongside one, both or none of those scoring guards.

The Heat might need multiple firsts to pry Caruso out of Chicago, but with his missing-piece potential for this roster, that could be worth it.

1. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers3 of 3

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When teams go star-searching this summer, the biggest dreamers in the basketball world will look toward Northeast Ohio. That’s where it seems like Donovan Mitchell, who can hit free agency next summer, could request a ticket out of town at any moment.

NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported there is a “growing belief among rival teams” that Cleveland “will be forced to trade Mitchell” if it can’t get his commitment on a contract extension. Making matters worse for the Cavs, “the buzz in NBA circles” indicates it would take an NBA Finals run for Mitchell to make that commitment, per B/R’s Eric Pincus.

At the very least, it feels like Mitchell is on the short list of stars likeliest to request a trade. While disgruntled elites always catch the attention of this franchise, the interest in Mitchell could be even greater. He is the high-end shot-creator this roster so desperately needs, shares a close bond with Heat legend Dwyane Wade and is tight with Adebayo, too.

Mitchell, who averaged 26.6 points and a career-high 6.1 assists this season, would be the kind of difference-maker that could convince Miami to empty its asset collection for him. It might take multiple picks, Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and more to get Mitchell, but it’s hard to think of a realistically available player who would give the Heat a better chance to contend during whatever remains of Jimmy Butler’s prime.