The Miami Heat traded Haywood Highsmith and the team’s 2032 second-round pick away to the Brooklyn Nets for a protected 2026 second-round pick. It’s very likely the Heat don’t receive this second-round pick because it is protected in the first 55 selections of the NBA Draft. So if the Heat never benefits from a second-round pick, why did the front office decide to make this move?

Let’s make sense of this trade, why it happened, and what it meant instead.

1 — Getting out of the luxury tax

The Heat needed to escape the luxury tax. The Nets are absorbing Highsmith’s $5.6 million deal that expires after this year. While that appears to be a small deal in comparison, the Heat have not been able to trade Terry Rozier away, which would free up more than $26 million in cap space. Miami was only $1.4 million above that tax, and now they have some flexibility with about $4 million below the luxury tax. Sometimes the deals come down to the bottom line and the Heat have provided the front office the ability to make deals for new players.

2 — Acquiring assets in the immediate future

The Heat now has an open roster spot, which they can use wherever necessary. The team worked out Kai Jones, who has struggled to find a permanent home in the NBA at 24 years old. Kai Jones was a first-round pick in 2021 by the Knicks and was a draft night trade to the Hornets, while lasting only two years and playing for the Clippers and Mavericks. Jones averages 3.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG in his career so the Heat would only be taking a chance on his athletic ability in a serious system. The team’s also expressed interest in Trey Lyles, who averaged 6.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 19.6 MPG with the Kings last year.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Heat decides to reunite with one of their own. Alec Burks is currently a free agent after making a good first impression on the Heat team last year. Many people within the organization would love to see Burks come back. You also can’t forget about Dru Smith, whose young career has been stunted by serious injuries, but his work ethic and hard-nosed play could give him another chance.

The best part about all four of these potential acquisitions is they can be signed for the veteran minimum and keep the Heat under the luxury tax.

3 — Acquiring assets at the trade deadline

It’s intriguing to think the Heat could now make a move at the trade deadline. Most people are not taking the Heat seriously, but with catastrophic injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, that makes the East a lot weaker. The Heat acquired Norman Powell in a trade and if they are hovering around the 4-6 seed in the East next year, I could see the Heat making a push for another piece at the deadline to help. This deal gives flexibility for the Heat, who likely see themselves competing in the Eastern Conference.

4 — The real reason the team didn’t acquire Kevin Durant

There’s a rumor going around about what the Heat’s final offer was for Kevin Durant. It included Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., the 20th pick, and Highsmith. The Suns decided and wanted Nikola Jovic in addition, which the Heat declined.

That gives us a clearer picture of how the Heat values Nikola Jovic. Jovic is someone the Heat are very high on, while it wasn’t Highsmith’s 3-and-D presence stopping the Heat from acquiring Durant.

While the Heat might miss Highsmith in the rotation, the Heat still has several wing players and has a good track record of developing hidden gems to contribute to Miami. But this deal wasn’t about Highsmith and getting him off the team, but it’s about propelling the Heat into the future.