Heat Trade Dewayne Dedmon: Here's What's Next
The Heat's move to trade Dedmon opens the door to add to this roster for the second half of the season.
As expected, the Miami Heat on Tuesday agreed to trade backup center Dewayne Dedmon in order to create the space needed to add to the roster for the second half of the season.
The Heat will trade Dedmon and a 2028 second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for cash considerations, freeing nearly $5 million in space below the NBA’s luxury tax threshold. The Athletic was first to report the trade.
The move leaves the Heat will 13 players on standard contracts and creates enough room for the Heat to add up to two players to the 15-man roster.
One of those spots could be used to sign center Orlando Robinson, who had supplanted Dedmon as the team’s primary backup center and impressed coaches prior to suffering a fractured thumb that will keep him out for several weeks.
Robinson is eligible to play 10 more NBA games as part of his prorated two-way contract but the injury could cause the Heat to wait until the offseason to sign him to a standard deal. The Heat will get Omer Yurtseven back from an ankle injury after the All-Star break and will need to carve out playing time for him once he’s cleared to return to the lineup.
The Heat might not be done before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline. They could add a player bought out after the deadline or facilitate a deal that could bring multiple players or additional salary back.
As we reported last week, the Heat are open to trading Kyle Lowry, whose $28.3 million contract could net multiple players in return.
In addition to Lowry, the Heat are looking to trade Duncan Robinson, who has three years, $57.5 million remaining on his contract. The Miami Herald reported Monday that the Heat have also received calls about Max Strus.
In return, Miami is prioritizing help in the front court and perhaps a starting-caliber power forward that would allow Caleb Martin to move back to his natural wing position. Shooting, size and athleticism are also areas of need. Potential targets could include Atlanta’s John Collins, Charlotte’s P.J. Washington, Boston’s Grant Williams, Utah’s Jarred Vanderbilt and LA’s Marcus Morris Sr., among others.
The move to trade Dedmon has been expected. Having fallen out of the rotation and out of favor with head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat have spent the last few days scanning the league for a landing spot. San Antonio was a natural fit given that it could absorb Dedmon’s $4.7 million salary into cap space without sending additional salary back to Miami.
Dedmon has played just 12 minutes in one game since being ejected and throwing a medical device onto the court following an argument with coaches in a Jan. 10 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.