Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Haywood Highsmith Trade Was In Works For A While

Ethan J. Skolnick|
Apr 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) reacts in the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Apr 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) reacts in the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

The Haywood Highsmith trade from the Miami Heat to the Brooklyn Nets did not come together quickly.

Not according to information recently gathered by Five Reasons Sports, and the Five on the Floor podcast.

The Heat made a collective decision to move on at the end of the 2024-25 season in which Highsmith slipped some defensively, which had been Highsmith's specialty. They wanted to create opportunities for younger players, with Highsmith not figuring into the regular rotation. So they looked for a deal for a while, and were open to moving him as part of the package for Norman Powell. But he didn't fit in the trade exception that the Los Angeles Clippers preferred to use. So the Heat reluctantly shipped veteran leader Kevin Love with Kyle Anderson instead. Love was routed to Utah but will likely be elsewhere this season after a buyout.

All of this upset Love, who wanted to stay with the Heat.

After acquiring Powell, the Heat still looked to move Highsmith. According to Five on the Floor sources, no team was offering a draft pick to the Heat. The Heat engaged with the Nets, who wanted a second-round selection to take Highsmith into their cap space; they are the only team in the NBA with enough to do so and not flinch.

The Heat were reluctant to add a second-round pick, hoping to make the trade and clear space under the luxury tax (and a roster spot for Dru Smith) without adding anything.

But then two things happened. First, Highsmith hurt his knee in an offseason workout, meaning he likely won't be ready for training camp. That eliminated the chance for interest from a team other the Nets, since the Nets aren't really concerned about winning this season.

And then the Nets came back to the Heat and said they had other plans if the Heat didn't take a deal now. So the Heat chose to get it done, including the second-round pick and starting fresh -- not taking the risk that they wouldn't be able to move Highsmith prior to the February trade deadline.

So Highsmith is a Net. Smith is back with the Heat on a three-year deal. And some young players will have additional opportunities.

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Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

Ethan has covered all major sports -- in South Florida and beyond -- since 1996 and is one of the longest-tenured fully credentialed members of the Miami Heat. He has covered, in total, more than 30 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals. After working full-time for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Bleacher Report and several other outlets, he founded the Five Reasons Sports Network in 2019 and began hosting the Five on the Floor podcast as part of that network. The podcast is regularly among the most downloaded one-team focused NBA podcasts in the nation, and the network is the largest independent sports outlet in South Florida, by views, listens and social media reach. He has a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. from Columbia University. TWITTER: @EthanJSkolnick and @5ReasonsSports EMAIL: fllscribe@gmail.com

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