The five worst trades in Miami Heat history

How many readers were around when the Miami Heat still hadn't brought in Pat Riley? He's the face of the team, despite not having final say, and has caught much criticism from the national media and public about his job lately.

He hasn't been perfect, but his run as an executive rivals some of the best in NBA history.

If it wasn't for the silver fox Don faxing his resignation to the New York Knicks, who knows how long it would've taken for the Heat to become a legitimate organization. Still, there have been some failed trades along the way in three decades. Let's review the moves that didn't work.

5. Taking a chance on KZ Okpala

Only hardcore Heat fans remember KZ Okpala, but he was the typical low risk high reward, gamble that went nowhere. And a player that Riley specifically targeted; the scouting staff reportedly wasn't as sold.

The team traded three second-round picks for him, and he lasted 100 regular season and playoff games over four years, despite being unplayable in nearly every minute.

Okpala is now out of the NBA.

4. Bringing in Victor Oladipo

The team was desperate to improve the season after the Orlando bubble (2020-21), and they had been struggling. The committee of execs didn't trade much (Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley, and a second-round pick that didn't convey) for Oladipo, but Olynyk is still playing (barely any minutes) and is on the San Antonio Spurs, which are in the Western Confernce Finals.

There were questions about Oladipo's health status before coming in, and his offensive game had severly fall off while spending 20 outings in Houston.

Oladipo only lasted four games in Miami before suffering another nasty quad injury. He only played in 67 games over the next two seasons, which included 17 playoffs games.

3. Sign and trade for Kyle Lowry

The team wanted Kyle Lowry badly after the bubble run so someone could organize the offense, and tried to get a move done before the 2021 trade deadline. Lowry arrived later that summer through sign-and-trade, which is not exactly the same thing, but consider the implications: he resisted getting in Heat shape his entire tenure and willingly took plays off.

There were signs he was slowing down in his last year in Toronto, but the team went for it because he was Jimmy Butler‘s friend. Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa were the expended capital, yet the juice wasn't worth the squeeze, even if Lowry was on board for two deep playoff trips.

2. Trade for Shabazz Napier

Remember when LeBron James tweeted "No way u take another PG in the lottery before [Shabazz] Napier" in 2014 ? Well, the rest is history because the team moved up in the draft to grab him, he stunk and James left anyway. Keep in mind that Clint Capela was the next pick, and how badly did the Heat need a big man before they found Hassan Whiteside? After Capela, the next notable players taken were Bogdan Bogdanović, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jerami Grant, Nikola Jokić (of all people), Dwight Powell and Jordan Clarkson. All of them except Dinwiddie were still playing in 2025-26.

1. The Terry Rozier trade

Of course, Riley and the committee had no idea the feds were on Terry Rozier's tracks when they traded a first-round pick and Lowry to Charlotte. Rozier's game never fit with the team as he became a liability on both sides, and it couldn't come at a worse time: the end of the Jimmy Butler era, when the team badly needed a stimulus. When it was revealed that Rozier was accused of federal crimes, the Heat patiently waited for a fair ruling, but were shafted by the league that comped them a SRP instead of a FRP. Again, it's about the negative impact after the fact, but think about how much more flexibility the team would have if they had an extra FRP.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as The five worst trades in Miami Heat history.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 8:14 AM.