Ideally, you never want to show your hand. If opponents know what you’ve got, it’s harder to gamble. Sometimes, you end up showing your hand anyway. NBA teams can be guilty of the same.
Did the Miami Heat show their hand this summer? Perhaps. The Heat clearly want to trade for Damian Lillard. It feels clear that they’d be willing to trade Tyler Herro in order to do so. Now, it feels like Herro could be available. The Heat may have shown their hand.
On the other hand, the New York Knicks dropped their cards when it came to Evan Fournier. That’s fine – it’s a less valuable hand anyway. Still, it’s clear that the Knicks would like to move Fournier. He fell out of their rotation last year and is vocally disgruntled with the team. Could the Knicks include him in a package that lands them Herro?
The Trade Proposal
Miami Heat Receive: G/F Evan Fournier, C Isaiah Hartenstein, 2026 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2028 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: G Tyler Herro
Sometimes, you show your hand – but nobody notices. Perhaps this analogy is getting messy. Let’s get literal. An NBA team can telegraph their intentions, miss out on their target, and ultimately, be OK in the end anyway.
Look at the Knicks. This team has been transparent in its pursuit of superstars in recent years. They wanted Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They wanted Donovan Mitchell. In the end, they wouldn’t get any of them. This could have been a disaster. It hasn’t been. Instead, the Knicks have developed a competitive program.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat & New York Knicks Updates
They could still use a major trade. Perhaps the Knicks don’t need to make a move for a superstar. Still, an injection of talent would serve this team well. Is Herro talented enough for them?
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
We think so. What does this Knicks team need? They’ve got two primary playmakers in Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. They’ve got a defensive anchor in Mitchell Robinson. This is a well balanced roster, but the Knicks could use a scorer.
Herro is a certified bucket-getter. Meanwhile, his ability to space the floor is key here as well. With Randle and Brunson making the plays, the Knicks need someone who can knock down shots from long-range. Herro qualifies. In theory, he’s a perfect fit for this roster.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat & New York Knicks Updates
Will the Knicks miss their outgoing pieces? Sure. They may need to replace Hartenstein. At the same time, he and Robinson at the 5 has always felt like overkill anyway. Meanwhile, Fournier wants out, and the Knicks are good enough to part with a pair of first-round picks. Should the Heat want their draft capital?
Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal
The Heat have been in pursuit of Lillard. There have been obstacles. Specifically, the Heat don’t have the type of draft capital that a team typically needs to land a star. This deal has them taking steps to rectify that situation.
Of course, they’re also losing Herro. That hurts their ability to trade for a star. In terms of trade capital, the Heat are taking one step backward and two steps forward here. With that said, the Heat just made a run to the NBA Finals without Herro. They may not need him. On the other hand, they could use both of the players they’re landing here.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat & New York Knicks Updates
Fournier is here to replace Herro. Meanwhile, Hartenstein would give Miami some much-needed size. He’ll allow them to bump Bam Adebayo down to the 4 in certain matchups, and he’ll be an elite backup for him as well. Still, the key here is the draft capital that Miami is receiving. Perhaps they’ll hold their cards a little closer to their chests if they decide to trade those picks down the line.
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