Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
For most of the offseason, the Miami Heat have been searching for ways to open up more cap space for next summer. Miami has dreams of having a large amount of room to absorb a star into the mix, or having enough to be active players in free agency.
The Heat are in need of a reset badly, but with the current structure in place, things may be tough to come by. The main player that Miami has been looking to move is veteran forward Andrew Wiggins, who is scheduled to make over $30 million on a player option for the 2026-27 season.
Miami landed Wiggins in a mid-season trade last year, and he played well for them in a short amount of time. In 17 regular-season appearances for the Heat, Wiggins put up 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.
The former No. 1 overall pick also shot 36.0 percent from beyond the 3-point line for Miami. With the Golden State Warriors before the trade, Wiggins averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game over 43 games.
It remains to be seen if Wiggins will get traded, but Miami continues to do its due diligence. The Heat could be one of the more active teams ahead of the trade deadline next spring.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
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Andrew Wiggins Trade Proposal to Boston Celtics
As the Heat look for options to dump the salary of Wiggins, one team that could use his services is the Boston Celtics. Boston is expected to be without star forward Jayson Tatum for the entire season, and adding more wing depth could be crucial.
The Celtics could send back someone like guard Anfernee Simons, whom the team acquired during this offseason. There have been rumors that Boston has been dangling Simons in different trade deals, and since he is on an expiring contract, Miami’s cap space would be open for next summer.
Simons could help the Heat stay relevant this year, but the real prize would be the major salary cap space that would open during the offseason next year. This could be one of the better ways for Miami to dump Wiggins, while also getting some in return for him.
If the Celtics could bring in someone like Wiggins, it could help offset the loss of Tatum, keeping this team competitive. While Wiggins is nowhere near the level of talent that Tatum is, he is more than capable of helping Boston stay afloat throughout the season.
The veteran has won a title before and could bring even more championship experience to the table. Wiggins could pair well alongside star Jaylen Brown, giving the Celtics a nice duo to work with during the year.
Since Wiggins does have a player option on his contract, Boston could elect to either keep him for the following season once Tatum returns or they could flip him in a deal later on. Of course, Wiggins would need to pick up the option for Boston to have flexibility, but he isn’t going to be getting $30 million on the open market, making it more likely.
The amount that Wiggins makes could be used in a deal later, and it could net the Celtics some quality pieces. A trade like this could be seen as a strong one for both sides, and it’s something that each team should consider doing.
