A: A bunch of considerations here. First, the Heat cannot trade their 2028 first-round pick (the only first-round pick they can put into play) until after this year’s draft. But that’s fine, because they also cannot do anything as far as sign-and-trade deals with Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn until not after the draft, but also the start of free agency. So there also is that. But beyond all of that, what many lose sight of is the reality that it is the free agent who holds the cards in a sign-and-trade. So while you might be able to get the money to work under the cap in a deal involving Duncan and Kendrick, those players have to want to go to the team you plan to deal with. Duncan and Kendrick are under absolutely no obligation to help facilitate a Heat trade by agreeing to a pre-determined destination. They can sign where they want. Then, with each likely to be a restricted free agent, the Heat can decide whether to match. But you can’t just send a free agent to a team’s choice of favorable locations in a sign-and-trade. It doesn’t work that way.
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