As the Golden State Warriors have sought out a potential sign-and-trade for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, the Miami Heat were one of the parties that showed initial interest in Kuminga's services.
Although it appears that the Warriors will attempt to retain Kuminga this offseason and trade him at a later date, the Heat's recent trade of Haywood Highsmith has signaled their intention to offload cap, opening up the possibility of a return to The Bay for fan-favorite forward Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins, 30, was initially traded from Golden State in the blockbuster Jimmy Butler deal at the trade deadline last season. Yet, as the Warriors seek out additional scorers, a return for Wiggins could be serendipitous.
The Miami Heat could be dramatically reshaping their roster
As the Heat dealt with the drama that defined the end of Butler's tenure in Miami, they were clearly ready to move into the next era of their current roster: one centered around quality players in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Yet, after going 37-45 last season and getting trounced in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers, their front office has likely realized that their roster, as it is constructed, is not ready to compete.
Thus, their recent trade of guard Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets for only a protected second-round pick is a clear sign of their desire to dump cap, possibly with the intention of reconstructing their roster around Adebayo and Herro.
Wiggins, who is entering his third year of a four-year, $109 million contract originally signed with the Warriors, could certainly be the next candidate to be moved from Miami.
Through 17 games with the Heat last season, Wiggins averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, essentially continuing where he left off with Golden State.
While Miami has signaled their intention to enter next season with Wiggins on the roster, it is still quite possible that they would be willing to move him around the trade deadline. Coincidentally, this is also the time where the Warriors would likely be shopping Kuminga yet again.
While Golden State would need to include an additional piece to match salary in such a trade, Wiggins would bring a much-needed additional scoring force to the team's frontcourt, allowing them to stagger his minutes with Butler and introduce a new dimension to the team's offensive front.
Therefore, while trading Wiggins was an unfortunate necessity given the price for Butler, bringing him back to The Bay could now become a possibility if the Heat continue to shed salary.