Miami Heat’s draft night gets busier

Refresh our memories.

When is the last time the Miami Heat were the team giving up cash considerations?

Maybe it’s happened recently, but it doesn’t come to mind. The Heat have been in cost-saving, more than cost-adding, mode since the middle of the Big Three era — but apparently they like some of the prospects in this draft enough to pony up a little.

Here’s the trade they just made:

OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have acquired a second-round pick (#44 overall) in the 2019 #NBADraft from Atlanta in exchange for a future conditional second-round pick and cash considerations. The pick originally belonged to Charlotte and was acquired by Atlanta in a previous trade.

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) June 19, 2019

What’s interesting about this deal is that the Heat have done such an incredible job of developing undrafted players of late that it hasn’t seemed necessary to stockpile second round picks.

But apparently, the Heat scouts are intrigued by the depth in this year’s draft. And they also may see a need. The team’s depth, particularly in the backcourt, has already been thinned by the cost-related subtractions of Rodney McGruder, Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington — plus the retirement of Dwyane Wade.

Look for coverage from American Airlines Arena — on this website and on podcasts — from myself (Ethan Skolnick) and Alphonse Sidney. That will include a recap of Pat Riley’s remarks, which now figure to occur early Friday morning, when everything is over.