The Miami Heat’s trade board is starting to take shape, and one name has moved into the spotlight after Friday’s news out of New Orleans: Dejounte Murray.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday afternoon that Murray requested a trade from the Pelicans, and discussions are already underway. According to the report, Murray and his agent, Rich Paul, along with Pelicans officials, are working to find a trade partner immediately.
That development gives Miami another potential path as it continues to sort through a choppy start to the season. The Heat have won three of their last five games, but the roster still has some obvious moving parts. The fit between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo has been shaky to begin the year, even with both players carrying All-Star credentials and confidence that they can eventually make it work together.
Miami had also been monitoring Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, but that option appears to be off the table for now. Irving, 34, recently returned to action for the first time since March 2025 after tearing his ACL and missing the entire 2025-26 season. He has looked strong since coming back, and the Mavericks reportedly have no interest in moving the nine-time All-Star while he’s playing well, even with the team in what looks like a rebuild.
That leaves Murray as the more realistic guard to watch. The 30-year-old was once regarded as one of the league’s top two-way guards, though the last few seasons haven’t matched that peak.
He came back last season after suffering a torn Achilles in January 2025, and in the 14 games he played, he looked like a player who had recovered. He has carried that same look into this season, appearing healthy and strong again, even if his splits have been uneven.
From Miami’s perspective, the fit is easy to see. Murray could ease the burden on Davion Mitchell as a ball-handler, and he could also open the door for Klay Thompson to move to the bench as a sixth man, which may suit him better at this stage of his career.
There’s also the contract angle. Murray is under team control through 2028, but with New Orleans potentially willing to move pieces this season and Murray no longer expected to play for the Pelicans while they work on a deal, he may not cost as much in a trade as he once would have.
In Other News...
Heat Suddenly Have A Real Path To Zach LaVine
Zach LaVines name has hovered around Miami before, but the latest buzz gives the Heat something more concrete to chew on. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, LaVine has shown interest in joining Miami, and the Heat have already been tied to him in past conversations, which keeps the idea from feeling like a total long shot.
The path still isnt simple, though, and it may come down to timing as much as anything else. Trade frameworks involving players such as Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic have been floated as possible ways to make a deal work, while another route could open later if a buyout becomes realistic after the trade deadline, leaving Miami with options but no clear finish line yet. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Legend Chris Bosh Is Suddenly Tied To A Troubling Fire Case
Chris Bosh has suddenly been pulled into an unsettling legal side story tied to the 2025 Palisades Fire, with investigators identifying potential evidence at his Los Angeles mansion that could point to a firework launched from the property as a possible ignition source. The former Heat star has not been accused of wrongdoing, but his home is now part of a case that has taken on added scrutiny because of what investigators say they found on the grounds.
In the criminal case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of starting the fire, the defense wants to call a retired Cal Fire investigator to testify about burn marks and smoke trails on Boshs property. Prosecutors are pushing back hard, disputing those findings and trying to keep that testimony out, which leaves Boshs connection to the case hanging in a tense legal fight that is still far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Offense Keeps Ignoring The One Thing That Actually Works
The Heat keep circling back to the same offensive question: why lean away from the action that has been working? Miamis recent attack has featured fewer three-point attempts from key players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo than in previous seasons, even as the numbers point to a more efficient path when the ball is moving through pick-and-roll sets. It is a familiar kind of debate for a team that has long prided itself on structure, but the current version of the offense has made the contrast hard to ignore.
Pick-and-rolls have been the clearest source of efficiency, and the more Miami uses them, the better the team tends to look. The comparison to the 2011-12 Heat is a useful reminder that the franchise has been here before, when a strategic shift in shot selection helped unlock a more effective offense. The question now is whether Miami will make the same adjustment again, or keep passing up the one thing that seems to give it the best chance to score consistently. [Read more 🡒]