SBN Reacts: Miami Heat fans prefer trading No. 27 pick for veteran

You, the fans, have responded!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Each week we ask questions of the most plugged-in Miami Heat fans and fans across the country.

We asked you, the fans, a couple questions on Wednesday regarding what the Miami Heat should do with the No. 27 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Let’s jump into the poll results!

SB Nation Reacts

Among the four allotted options for what the Heat should do with their first-round pick, 49 percent of Heat fans prefer they trade the No. 27 pick for a veteran. Potential names could include, but are not limited to: Harrison Barnes, John Collins, Donovan Mitchell, Alec Burks, Bradley Beal, etc.

If Miami went wheeling and dealing for a veteran, however, it would have to package the No. 27 pick with another pick and/or player. That could be any of their available future first-round picks as well as Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus or Omer Yurtseven, among others.

Hypothetically, if a Heat player was hypothetically moved for a veteran, there was an overwhelming No. 1 answer for who Heat fans thought Pat Riley would most likely trade:

SB Nation Reacts

Nearly 85 percent of responders (!!!) believe Duncan Robinson, set to make $16.9 million this upcoming season, would be moved if a draft-night trade for a veteran occurs. Given Robinson’s contract relative to the rest of the team, it makes sense — he is the only Heat player not named Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler to be making more than $6 million.

If Miami were to trade Robinson and No. 27, at the bare minimum, it would be in a precarious position to acquire the “big fish” if they still desired to. Robinson is Miami’s only so-called “salary-filler” contract ($10-20M) and would be theoretically be utilized as the money-matcher in a bigger transaction. If they’re willing to flip the trade returnee (assuming he had a similar ‘22-23 cap hit) or part with Lowry — expected to make $28.3 million in 2022-23 — then acquiring the “big fish” would still be feasible. Otherwise, it’s all but a pipe dream.

The player who’s selected No. 27 overall is expected to make approximately $1.84 million in his first season, per RealGM. The player can, however, sign between 80 to 120 percent of the scale, meaning the No. 27 pick can make anywhere between $1.47M to $2.21 as a rookie. While it would a marginal financial dent in a trade, the No. 27 could also hypothetically be traded as additional salary in a larger deal.

Heat insider Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports Network reported Thursday that the Heat have “explored” trading for a first-round pick in 2025 and 2026 plus an additional second-round pick tonight, which wasn’t an option in the poll above. Though Sylvander cited that “only a handful” of prospects would have them keeping their No. 27 pick.

Anything can happen, obviously. But in short: It’s very possible the Heat trade No. 27 — whether up, down or out — before or during tonight’s draft. And depending on how it’s moved, it could come at the expense of a Heat player, Robinson or otherwise.

Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.