Which young players would Heat most regret trading?

You've got to give to get, but what happens when you're getting so much already from promising players that it hurts to give them up?

That's the dilemma the Miami Heat are facing as 2025 -- a turbulent year for the franchise -- ends and 2026 begins.

Miami is not a contender, not at 18-15 and not without a true superstar, or even a likely All-Star, though veteran addition Norman Powell has done his best to make up for Tyler Herro's absence, with Herro missing 27 of 33 games due to two different injuries. But they have gotten production from several recent draft choices, mid-first round selections for the most part (with a second-rounder thrown in) who have higher upsides that the slew of undrafted finds they've mined in recent years.

It was one thing to worry about whether Gabe Vincent, Rodney McGruder, Max Strus, Derrick Jones Jr., Tyler Johnson, Caleb Martin and the like would excel after signing or being traded elsewhere, and give the Heat seller's remorse. But it's another when you're considering the pre-draft and post-rookie upside that Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have already shown.

But again, teams need to give to get, especially when you're trying to get someone of the generational caliber of Giannis Antetokounmpo -- should he ever officially ask out, rather than others hinting it behind the scenes and be made fully available by the Milwaukee Bucks.

In a recent episode of Five on the Floor, we discussed the regret that the Heat might feel while parting with any of the skilled, progressing young players that Adam Simon and others have added.

The Heat have had to do this before during the Pat Riley era. Riley's first move was giving up a very good player that the team drafted -- prior to Riley arriving -- in Glen Rice for Alonzo Mourning. He later parted with draftee Caron Butler and young recent acquisition Lamar Odom to get Shaquille O'Neal, and there was even some consternation among a small section of Heat fans about whether to ever move Justise Winslow or Josh Richardson, with Winslow eventually going in a major midseason trade that led to the 2020 NBA Finals (with Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala catalyzing that) and Richardson moved for Jimmy Butler (which no one came to regret).

It's assumed that to get a megastar, Herro might need to be moved. And that would be painful in its own right, since (for all the critiques of his availability and defense), there's no question that the scoring guard has outperformed his No. 13 placement in the 2019 draft, and he's still in his mid-20s with room to grow.

But how will the Heat and their supporters feel later if Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Kasparas Jakucionis and even second-round selection Pelle Larsson are shipped out?

1. The Ware scare

The potential is obvious, and that's why there's such a potential for regret. As Kel'el Ware continues accumulating double-doubles (the most in his draft class by far) while doing so many of the little things better, there's a real shot that he could be a multi-year All-Star before too long. What if it's somewhere else? We are at the point in which the Heat absolutely cannot move him unless they're receiving a current top 15 player in return.

2. The Jaime highway

While his Sixth Man of the Year candidacy took a hit during a brief slump, Jaime Jaquez Jr's quick recovery suggests he's really here to stay this time. If so, this is a player any time would want, for his footwork, energy and scoring knack alone, along with his rapid development in terms of reads. He's not a knockdown shooter, and may never be, so he's not untouchable. But he's not a throw-in to a deal either. If Miami intends to extend him, then it can only really trade him as the second piece for a superstar, and even then should try to hold him out.

3. Niko, Pelle and Kasparas

It's been odd to see the Heat turn to so many international players after decades of avoiding them. And they even extended Nikola Jovic this season. Jovic is not untouchable, largely because of issues related to confidence and consistency, but he's again flashing enough skills to make him potentially attractive to another team even at his upcoming cost increase. Miami might just have to swallow hard and let him go in the right deal. Pelle Larsson is 13-6 as a starter and it's conceivable that a contender could value him as a connector, but it's not likely a team trading a superstar would still be trying to contend immediately, so the Heat might be able to hold on to him. Kasparas Jakucionis is the wild card; the gifts of vision are obvious, and he could have been drafted higher than No. 20. But has he shown enough in limited time that another team would value him as the Heat do? If not, you try to keep him, but it can't be a deal-breaker. He's nine years younger than Bam Adebayo and 13 younger than Norman Powell, so the timelines don't necessarily match up.