NBA: 3 instant takeaways from Meyers Leonard, Trevor Ariza trade

Miami Heat big Meyers Leonard has been in the NBA spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately, following his use of an ugly slur on his Twitch stream a week ago. He was fined $50,000, which is the maximum he can be fined without risking intervention from the NBPA, and he was suspended from the team, which is toothless because he’s out for the season with a shoulder injury.

It was an unimpressive series of disciplinary steps considering it’s literally the least the Heat could do in response to his actions, but they took another step to fully disassociate from him by trading him away to the OKC Thunder on Tuesday afternoon.

Instant reactions to Meyers Leonard, Trevor Ariza pre-NBA trade deadline swap

The Heat shipped Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick to the Thunder in exchange for Trevor Ariza, who may in fact be a useful part of the puzzle for them going forward as the NBA playoffs near.

With this move in the books, we’ll break it down with our instant reactions.

• The Heat get to fully cut ties and add talent

One thing was certain the moment Leonard uttered his slur; he would never be welcome back in the Heat locker room. Trading him away ensures there’s no way that can be screwed up, or that he can earn his way back into their good graces. It’s a good move optically (insofar as there can be any good optical moves here) and for the organization, it’s likely a relief to be parted once and for all from Leonard.

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In addition, the Heat get a 3-and-D veteran in Ariza who may add value in the playoffs. If he doesn’t, no harm, no foul; Ariza’s $12.8 million contract expires at the end of this season.

• Meyers Leonard will never play for the OKC Thunder

Make no mistake, the Thunder didn’t trade for Leonard to add his talent to their squad. They wanted that 2027 second-round pick, and perhaps were willing to do the Heat a favor in ridding them of Leonard. He’s out for the rest of the season, and his $10.15 million 2021-22 salary is in the form of a team option.

The Thunder will decline his option and he will become a free agent. If an NBA team wants to pick him up after that, they can go right ahead and go for it, but the Heat and Thunder will have forever washed their hands of him.

• The Thunder turned nothing into a little bit of something

Trevor Ariza bounced around the NBA this past offseason and most likely never even had to change addresses. He was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Houston Rockets, to the Detroit Pistons, to the OKC Thunder in quick succession. Since the Thunder had no interest in contending, they didn’t need Ariza around and allowed him to stay away from the team.

He had value to the Thunder in that his contract expires at the end of the season, but picking up a 2027 second-round pick isn’t exactly nothing. It’s close, but not quite, and at worst can be added to their massive stockpile of draft assets to be flipped for something later.

It’s a good bit of business for both general manager Sam Presti of the Thunder and president of basketball operations Pat Riley for the Heat.