The Miami Heat have made a small splash ahead of the trade deadline.
The team has traded away KZ Okpala in a deal that has some interesting draft pick implications.
OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have acquired a 2026 second round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for KZ Okpala.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 9, 2022
From what I gather, Heat and Thunder also agreed to amend the 2023 first-round pick Miami owed to OKC. Now, the Heat owes the Thunder a protected 2025 first-round selection that, if not conveyed, will be an unprotected 2026 pick.
Frees up 2022 or 2023 pick to be traded. https://t.co/NGkbZJnZVA
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) February 9, 2022
Okpala has been a trade candidate for quite some time, and he was even mentioned in a recent report that linked the Heat to P.J. Washington.
Now, it seems that Okpala will continue his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In his Heat career, he averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 63 appearances. He never quite lived up to expectations for the Heat after entering the NBA in 2019.
It will be interesting to see if Miami has any other deals up its sleeve.
