The Miami Heat may look at trade deals at the NBA trade deadline in February and names like Taj Gibson, Brook Lopez, Carlos Boozer, Arron Afflalo, Goran Dragic, Roy Hibbert, Thaddeus Young, Greg Monroe or Gerald Green could be potential targets, while Luol Deng, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole could be players that get traded if the right deal comes along to help Dwyane Wade and company.
Miami has struggled this season with LeBron James gone, but they are still in playoff position in the eastern conference. ESPN.com reported earlier in the season that Brook Lopez was a trade target for the team, but right now that interest has waned. The team could pick up on that as the deadline gets closer, while names like Young and Hibbert could potentially move. Monroe likely will stay put in Detroit, as he wants to keep his Bird rights and the team wants a first round pick for him, which is too high for Miami.
The team reportedly was considering a trade with Luol Deng, but that did not get far and now they may look at moving Norris Cole or Mario Chalmers. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, Cole is the player to watch, as he has not been getting as many minutes with Chalmers and Shabazz Napier ahead of him in the rotation. Chalmers is also potentially an option to move, but Miami likely will push Cole over Chalmers in any deal. SI.com made a list of some names that could get traded and added Chalmers to the list, writing that the team could stick with Cole or Napier over Chalmers.
Earlier in January, Miami reportedly had interest in Lopez according to ESPN New York, as the Nets have been shopping him along with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. Lopez has a high salary and that is one of the main issues for Miami and Lopez comes in averaging 14 points and six rebounds this season. Lopez is just 26 years old and is a solid target for teams, but he has injury issues that could make some clubs afraid to pull the trigger. Dragic is heading towards free agency and could be an option for the Suns to deal, as they have Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe.
Cole has experience playing with LeBron James in Miami and with Cleveland looking for some trades to help support Kyrie Irving, Cole could be a target. According to Cleveland.com, Cole is also a target for the Detroit Pistons, as they lost Brandon Jennings to a season ending injury. Cole is being shopped by the Heat, as he is averaging just six points per game and has not been playing as many minutes as last year. The Cavs may look at a deal with Cole, while the Pistons, Lakers and Clippers also could be interested, according to Pro Basketball Talk.
Reggie Jackson is a potential option as well, but Miami may not want to give up that much to the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC sees Jackson as a player with potential, so they will want a solid pick to make that move and Miami will likely not meet that price. Reports have the Denver Nuggets as one of the main teams looking at Jackson, while the Knicks reportedly want to target him in free agency next summer.
