Heat Trade Pitch Pairs Bam Adebayo With $195 Million Star

The Miami Heat finally did something in the offseason that their fan base was happy about, landing Norman Powell. 

Powell is a very good player and should help this Heat team moving forward. With the Eastern Conference expected to be below average next season due to a multitude of injuries to many stars, some believe there’s an opportunity for teams like the Heat to compete for a title in the conference. 

Blockbuster Trade Finds Miami Another Star

For the Miami Heat, the best way to ensure they have an opportunity to compete in the Eastern Conference is by making a trade. There could be a few options for the Heat to still pursue on the market. 

Sports Illustrated recently proposed a deal for Lauri Markkanen, who has been in trade rumors over the past two years. 

Hawks Receive: Svi Mykhailiuk

Heat Receive: Lauri Markkanen, KJ Martin

Jazz Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr, 2029 1st-round pick (unprotected, via MIA), 2031 1st-round pick (top-5 protected, via MIA), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL/HOU, from ATL)

“Markkanen was one of the most desirable players after the 2023-24 season due to a fantastic season where he averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds on 63% TS, 40% from three on eight attempts per game and 41.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. 

“Even his down season last year still yielded 19 points and 5.9 rebounds on 42.3/34.6/87.6 shooting splits despite struggling with injuries for most of the year. He’s a massive wing who can line up at either SF or PF, firmly in his prime at 28 years old and he’s already signed for the next four seasons. That’s extremely enticing to a team like Miami, who can run massive lineups that feature the Ke’el Ware/Bam Adebayo double big look and Markkanen as a ridicously oversized seven-foot SF,” they wrote.

Markkanen’s Fit With the Heat

Markkanen would be an excellent addition for the Miami Heat, as he’s a big who has proven he can shoot nearly 40.0% from 3-point range on high volume. 

Pairing him with Bam Adebayo would be an intriguing fit for the Heat, too. 

However, the Heat would have to hope that the Utah Jazz take this deal. When searching for why the Jazz might accept something like this, Sports Illustrated noted that Rozier is on an expiring deal. It could also give them an opportunity to play some of their young players, like Ace Bailey, whom they drafted No. 5 overall. 

“In absence of Rozier’s current legal situation, his deal is a great expiring contract that could either get flipped at the deadline or expire without any long-term risk to Utah’s books. Wiggins is a great replacement for Markkanen in the sense that he can play the PF role and boost his offensive production to make him a compelling candidate to get flipped at the trade deadline or offseason mark. Even though he wasn’t a perfect fit in Miami, he still averaged 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 45.8/36/73.1% shooting splits. He’d also be a great mentor for Ace Bailey, who the Jazz recently took with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.”