How are Heat’s players viewed as trade assets? NBA scout weighs in. And a Mitchell caveat

When the Heat has gone star-searching the past two years, there has been one constant: Every team wants Bam Adebayo. That’s a nonstarter, and there’s a good chance that will continue to be a nonstarter.

So does the Heat have enough assets to piece together a package for another All-Star to surround Adebayo and potentially Jimmy Butler, if the Heat agrees to give Butler the contract extension he plans to seek?

An Eastern Conference scout with another team said the Heat’s non-Adebayo commodities — which include several young players, one tradeable first-round pick and movable contracts — are a decent “asset” portfolio, in his view. Not extraordinary, but good.

The scout, who has watched the Heat a lot this season, offered outside perspective on the value of the Heat’s assets, with impending free agents Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith not included because they only can be included in sign-and-trades with their authorization:

▪ Tyler Herro, who’s due $29 million, $31 million and $33 million during the next/final three seasons of his contract:

“He’s erratic, but the big thing with him is you can never count on him being healthy. The major concern with his salary is the health, less so the talent. He played half the season; you can’t just [gloss over] that after the past injury issues. I don’t think he’s a negative asset but a lot of teams will back off because of the health. If he was healthy more often, I would feel better about him.”

The Warriors, well over the luxury tax line, were so eager to dump Jordan Poole’s four-year, $128 million extension that they traded him to Washington last summer for Chris Paul’s expiring contract.

Herro’s deal is similar; he’s one year into a four-year extension that could be worth $130 million. Miami also is over next season’s luxury tax line (not to the extent that Golden State has been), but the scout said Herro is not a distressed asset, in his view, like Poole was.

“Herro is not Jordan Poole where you have to dump him off,” the scout said. “With Poole, it was a combination of the salary, the Warriors’ [tax issues], his style and” chemistry after his confrontation with Draymond Green.

“I know Herro was erratic in the Boston series but he can get his own shot. He’s skilled. He’s a good passer. He’s just streaky. In an ideal world, he’s a sixth man. But that’s a lot to pay for a sixth man.”

Herro was great in the Heat’s Game 2 win against Boston, producing 24 points, five rebounds and a career-high 14 assists. But in the other four games of the series, Herro averaged 15 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 23 of 65 (35.4 percent) from the field and 9 of 32 (28.1 percent) from three-point range.

During the regular season, he appeared in just 42 games and averaged a career-high 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and shot 44.1 percent from the field and 39.6 percent on threes.

▪ Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is due $3.7 million, $3.9 million and $5.9 million the next three seasons, presuming his option years are exercised (a safe assumption):

“He would be a key piece in any deal, he or [Nikola] Jovic. Jaquez is probably not going to be an All-Star. He can be an above-average rotation player on a good team. He can occasionally start or be your fifth starter. Is he going to be your No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 guy? No.

“Can he be a good glue guy and your fifth best guy? I think so. As a top reserve, he’s got significant value. The shooting is a concern. I love his basketball maturity, his IQ, his toughness, his ability to get to the basket, his hustle. Can he score consistently would be a question. Is he going to become a consistent shooter? He’s good at a bunch of things. He has value.”

▪ Jovic, who’s due $2.5 million and $4.4 million the next two seasons (with the Heat holding an option on the $4.4 million — an option that will assuredly be exercised):

“He’s got value. He’s on the upswing. He’s made a significant jump. He’s gone from marginal to good in Year 2. Is he a starter on a good team? Maybe your fifth guy.

“With his age and skill level and development, he would be a prized piece of any deal I think. He’s got significant upside still. He’s only going to get better.

“He’s intriguing. To be able to take the ball off the defensive backboard and handle and make a play on the other end is very impressive. Good shooter, which he’s shown this year. Body has gotten better. His defense is serviceable now.”

He said which player is viewed as the better trade piece — Jovic or Jaquez — would depend on the other team’s needs and preference.

▪ Duncan Robinson, who’s due $19.4 million and $19.9 million the next two seasons, with only half of the $19.9 million guaranteed in 2025-26:

“He’s gotten his value back up, obviously. With the perspective of how he has played this year and the inflation of salaries, that number [five years, $90 million] is not so bad. He’s back to being the guy they signed for that number. He’s improved his game. He can put the ball on the floor and make a play. Much more multidimensional now. To me, that’s an acceptable contract now, definitely a movable one.”

▪ Terry Rozier, who’s due $24.9 million and $26.6 million in the next/final two years of his contract:

“That contract is a trade facilitator, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a great trade facilitator. Good player, but the money is a little too much for my taste. If you poll NBA people on him, you would get a real mixed reaction, and I’m guessing it would poll somewhat negatively. That’s a little rich for the player. He should be the sixth man on that team if you start Herro.”

▪ And what would the market be for Butler if the Heat made him available now that Miami knows he intends to ask for a new contract that would pay him $161 million for three years instead of the two years and $101.2 million he’s now due?

We will share the scout’s answer - and some thoughts on this - in a piece later this week.

The scout offered two final thoughts:

▪ Regarding Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell (who reportedly is expected to seek a trade), he said a hypothetical Heat offer of Herro and the Cavs’ choice of Jovic or Jaquez and a first-round pick would be “a competitive one, because Mitchell can just leave in a year.

“Herro and Darius Garland can score and shoot, but defensively you’re giving up a lot if you pair those two together. That’s a pretty good deal. I would assume Cleveland would say it’s not quite enough. But it’s a competitive offer.”

The scout said there are a few other teams who probably can top that, particularly if Brooklyn offers a package built around five first-rounders, though he was skeptical the Nets would do that.

But this important: A Herro offer with Jovic or Jaquez for Mitchell would not be permitted if the Heat settles in above the first apron (a payroll of $178.7 million). Under the NBA’s new labor deal, teams at or above that first apron cannot take back more money in a trade than they’re sending out. (Miami projects as a first apron team.)

Mitchell is due to make $35.4 million next season. Herro is due $29 million, Jaquez $3.7 million and Jovic $2.4 million. Herro plus Jaquez is $32.7 million.

So Miami would need to add another player in this Mitchell hypothetical to satisfy NBA apron rules — which could be as simple as also trading Thomas Bryant to Cleveland in this hypothetical deal if he exercises his player option, as expected — or get under the first apron. Without the apron rules, the hypothetical of Mitchell for Herro plus Jaquez or Jovic would work within NBA general trade rules.

▪ The scout said one factor working against Miami with its young players is “once you’re out of that Heat culture environment, are you the same player? Strus didn’t shoot it as well this year.” Strus shot 37.1 percent on threes during his Heat career, 35.1 in his one season with Cleveland.

“You can’t judge Gabe Vincent, because he was hurt most of the year,” the scout said. “But it’s a question people ask.”