With the 2016 NBA trade deadline just around the corner, plenty of players have been linked to trade rumors all over the league. The Miami Heat are well within range of those rumors. Sitting at fifth in the Eastern Conference with a series of injuries and lack of depth, the Heat have been looking around for player(s) to bolster their chances of making a deep playoff run.
After being reported for quite a while, the Heat traded Mario Chalmers in December for tax relief. Representatives of the Heat said nothing about it before, but the chatter was always there and the rumors and reports were true. The same still continues today as several current Heat players have been in trade discussions. Chris Andersen, Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng have been some of the more talked about trade targets. Just two weeks ago, ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were trying to target Whiteside.
Whether any trade is executed is up to Pat Riley. Obviously some changes are very unlikely but others are more plausible than you might think. See the whole list starting from some of the more unrealistic candidates heading down to the most realistic ones.
10. DeMarcus Cousins/Caron Butler
Potential trade: Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts and Chris Andersen for DeMarcus Cousins and Caron Butler.
Before the Sacramento Kings were in the playoff mix, DeMarcus Cousins was on the trading block. A rumored trade centered around centers Cousins and Whiteside picked up a lot of attention in South Florida.
Cousins, 26, is having an MVP caliber season, averaging 27.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. The 6’11” center is continuously showing signs of breaking barriers – scoring 48 and 56 points in consecutive games earlier this season – and would be a centerpiece in Miami going forward.
Whiteside, who was actually drafted by the Kings, figures to be the better defensive player as he currently averages the most blocks in the NBA (3.9). Cousins’ feeble relationship with head coach George Karl and disciplinary problems in Sacramento have led many to believe he could be gone soon. Miami could also snag former Heat player Caron Butler, who has played just nine games in Sacramento this season. Butler, in his 14th year in the league, still has offensive skills that would benefit Miami and could be a great mentor to rookie Justise Winslow.
Next: Dwight Howard
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