Miami Heat: 3 players most likely to be traded in 2018-19

With a roster stuck in no man’s land, here are the three most likely Miami Heat players to be traded during the 2018-19 season.

The Miami Heat have some serious decisions to make in the coming months.

With a virtually identical roster returning that posted a 44-38 record last season, the Pat Riley-led front office must decide whether to stick with the existing setup, or break up this nucleus by dealing away one or more players in the process.

The problem is, the Heat have a number of players with undesirable deals. Leading the list is Hassan Whiteside, who has two years and $52.5 million remaining and is clearly in the doghouse with the Heat coaching staff. However, given the amount he’s owed and his horrific showing in the playoffs, Whiteside’s value around the league is at an all-time low.

Another player the Heat would love to move on from is combo guard Tyler Johnson. Due to the poison pill nature of his contract, the Heat are now on the books for $38.5 million over the coming two years. While Johnson encapsulates everything about the Heat culture, his salary far outweighs his contributions and value to the team. Furthermore, he has a 15 percent trade kicker inserted in his deal, meaning the possibility of a team welcoming Johnson’s remaining salary remains a long shot.

Additionally, the following tweet from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald gives further credence to the difficulty facing the Heat in moving on from Whiteside and Johnson:

So with this duo seemingly unlikely to be moved, Riley and his staff will therefore need to focus on the remaining players on the roster should they wish to shake things up this coming season.

As a result, here’s a look at the three most likely players on the Heat to be traded in 2018-19.