The trade
Why would the Heat do this?
CJ McCollum would be a great addition to the Heat. His ability to shoot the lights out and handle the ball would be great for Miami’s offense. It would be huge to have a guy that can get a bucket from anywhere on the court. McCollum would also take some of the scoring pressure off Dragic, making defenses have to plan for both of them in addition to Whiteside.
While Evan Turner and Meyers Leonard are overpaid, it is unlikely that Portland ships out McCollum without trying to cleanse themselves of some of their horrid contracts. While they are getting contracts similar to the size of Turner’s and Leonard’s, the players signed to the contracts are actually solid, young players.
As of Wednesday, Jimmy Butler has not been traded, but has said that the Heat are his preferred destination, per The New York Times‘ Marc Stein:
Jimmy Butler and his agent Bernie Lee have informed Wolves ownership that Miami is Butler's preferred trade destination, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 26, 2018
Yes, Butler is clearly better than McCollum, but McCollum is under contract for three more years, while Butler is on the last year of his deal, meaning he can still enter free agency. While the Heat are reportedly his top choice, things can change over the course of a season. What makes you think he’ll get along with Hassan Whiteside if he couldn’t get along with Andrew Wiggins?
Why would the Trail Blazers do this?
The only way Portland would execute this trade is in the middle of the season amid poor team performance. Hitting the reset button in the middle of the season would position them to get a high lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, in addition to numerous drafts moving forward.
Trading for the abundance of Heat players will give them serviceable players who are all 27 years old or younger; the main piece being 21-year-old Justise Winslow. While his development has not been drastic, we could see a much improved Winslow since he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he excels this season, he could see a big contract coming his way in the summer.
The other players going to the Blazers in this deal seem to be overpaid (besides Rodney McGruder, who’s only owed $1 million), but in reality, the only overpaid player is Tyler Johnson. It’s true that his services are not worth $19 million, but Portland won’t be in the running to sign any notable free agent, and his contract is only for two years, so Portland could buy him out after the 2018-19 season if need be. Kelly Oylynk and Dion Waiters are paid reasonably for their services, especially because they are still in the prime of their careers.
In conclusion, this hypothetical trade could be the answer to Portland’s quest for their second NBA championship and the Heat’s quest for their fourth.