3 trades Miami Heat need to make after missing on OG Anunoby

The Miami Heat's desire to add another star is the NBA's worst-kept secret. Miami was publicly at the forefront of the Damian Lillard sweepstakes over the summer, but Portland's reluctance to deal Lillard to his preferred destination — coupled with the Heat's noteworthy lack of assets — landed Dame in Milwaukee.

Without Lillard, the Heat have still managed an impressive start to the regular season. At 19-13, Miami is No. 5 in the Eastern Conference, only a half-game behind Orlando in the (still developing) race for home-court advantage. The Heat are reigning conference champs. Jimmy Butler has been to the Finals twice since arriving in South Beach. It's clear the Heat can win, on some level, with the current group.

That said, it's hard to imagine Miami stacking up to Milwaukee, or Boston, or Philadelphia at full strength. Right now, that is. We have seen Erik Spoelstra's crew beat longer odds — the Heat were the No. 8 seed during last season's run — but Miami could use an upgrade or two.

OG Anunoby was always a logical target for Miami. He's on an expiring contract and he would pair nicely with the Heat's core as an efficient 3-point shooter who can decrease Butler's burden on defense. Unfortunately, the New York Knicks were able to strike first. Maybe Anunoby bolts for Miami in free agency, but it's unlikely. The Heat will have to look elsewhere.

Here are a few trades Pat Riley and the front office can swing to improve Miami's current competitive odds.

3. Heat can improve on margins with Jaden Springer trade

In addition to star-hunting, the Heat should look to improve on the margins. That is what every smart front office prioritizes. Miami lacks youth and draft capital. If the Heat want to build a sustainable contender — one that can grow beyond Jimmy Butler — it's important to treat even the small moves seriously.

This is a relatively simple move on the surface. The Philadelphia 76ers get a familiar veteran to polish the back end of the rotation. Josh Richardson's first stint with the Sixers was much maligned, but he should be better positioned for success on the current roster. He's still a plucky guard defender who can hit spot 3s and the occasional mid-range pull-up. The 30-year-old is due $2.9 million this season, with a player option for $3.1 million in 2024-25.

For the season, Richardson is averaging 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on .437/.327/.914 splits in 27.8 minutes. He is a legitimate rotation cog. The Sixers have more depth than Miami on the wing — Kelly Oubre, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, and De'Anthony Melton should all take priority — but there's room for Richardson to emerge as a backend rotation regular for Nick Nurse.

In return, the Heat land lightly used Jaden Springer. The 21-year-old, in his third NBA season, has popped in sparse minutes due to his on-ball defense and unique athleticism at 6-foot-3. The Sixers haven't committed to playing Springer, however, and it's tough to see a pathway to minutes on the current roster. That is, unless Nurse suddenly changes his perspective on the former first-round pick. This deal has downside for Philadelphia, as Springer's defensive upside is significant. Miami would hope Springer takes well to the Heat's player development program and absorbs some (if not all) of Richardson's minutes in the short term.

Springer has long-term equity that Richardson simply does not. The Sixers get the Heat's last tradeable second-round pick for the next half-decade, but that's a small price to pay for flipping a mostly uninspiring veteran stopgap into a legitimate young asset. That's the kind of move Miami's front office should be interested in.