Days before the unofficial start of trade season across the NBA, the Miami Heat traded Thomas Bryant to the Indiana Pacers for a 2031 second-round pick swap. As a result, the Heat will receive the most favorable of those two second-round picks.
The trade wasn’t made official until Sunday, the day that Bryant–who re-signed with the Heat this offseason–became trade-eligible.
Though there was another intriguing trade that happened this weekend. The Brooklyn Nets traded Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors for De’Anthony Melton, who’s out for the season with a knee injury, plus three future second-round picks.
In each of the last two trade deadlines, second-round picks have traversed throughout the league. Remember former Heat forward Jae Crowder was flipped by the Milwaukee Bucks for not one, not two … but five second-round picks. Yes, five. No more, no less.
To be exact, according to Hoops Rumors, 61 second-round picks have been traded over that span. The Heat are pretty strapped for draft capital over the next six drafts, including owning none of their own second-round picks. What happened to all of them? Let’s examine!
2025, ’26: Heat traded three second-rounders (2022, 2025, 2026) to Suns for KZ Okpala
Skinny: The Heat flushed three second-rounders down the tubes on draft night, trading three of them for former Stanford forward KZ Okpala, who Phoenix drafted No. 32 overall.
Okpala never found a consistent role with the Heat, appearing in just 98 career games over four years. He averaged just 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game, shooting just 40.9 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from 3-point range.
Okpala always flashed strong potential defensively, but was a negative offensively with an unreliable shot with poor ballhandling, playmaking and court awareness, significantly limiting his ceiling.
2027: Heat trade Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-rounder to the Thunder for Trevor Ariza
Skinny: Miami re-signed Meyers Leonard to a bloated two-year, $19.6 million deal with the Heat ahead of the 2020-21 season in the opening minutes of free agency. Leonard’s Heat tenure ended unceremoniously, leading them to trade him–plus their 2027 second–to the Thunder (who immediately waived him) for Trevor Ariza. The then-36-year-old Ariza played in 30 games with Miami, averaging 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds on 41.1/35.0/77.3 shooting splits.
2028: Heat trade Dewayne Dedmon plus 2028 second-rounder to Spurs for cash
Skinny: Upon signing with the Heat in 2020-21 after Leonard’s departure, Dedmon was one of the league’s best backup bigs. It went downhill from there over his next two seasons, ultimately leading to him throwing a Theragun on the court during a live game. He became a negative asset, leading to the Heat trading him roughly 48 hours before the trade deadline–having to attach their 2028 second.
2029, ’30: Heat trade Oladipo plus two second-round picks (2029, ’30) to Thunder
Skinny: Oladipo’s tenure with the Heat was unfortunately marred by injury, picking up two season-ending knee injuries in just over two calendar years. After suffering a torn patellar tendon in Game 3 of the first round against Milwaukee in 2023, Miami traded him–plus two seconds–that summer, freeing up $9.5 million in space.
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Do the Heat have any second-round picks?
Including the Heat’s second-round swap in 2031, they have two second-round picks over their next seven drafts … two! The only other second-rounder they own is the Lakers’ 2026 second-rounder, traded to them by the San Antonio Spurs in Max Strus’ three-team sign-and-trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In terms of first-round picks, the Heat has five first-rounders through 2031–one in either 2025 or 26 (OKC owed other; Jimmy Butler trade), one in 2027 or 2028 (CHA owed other; Terry Rozier trade) and all three from 2029-31. However, only one (2030 or 2031) can currently be traded outright because of the Stepien rule.
Of course, first-round picks are more valuable than seconds. Though they still don’t have an ideal draft capital inventory, especially with how successful they’ve recently been in scouting and development. At the very least, it’s encouraging to know they have two over these next two drafts, which are expected to be very good classes (especially in 2025). Who knows whether or not it will obtain more between now and then, but that’s the hand it’s currently dealt.
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