NBA trade season is officially here. With many of the players who signed new contracts last summer becoming tradeable starting December 15th, this is a date fans are circling their calendars to really get the trade going.

Contrary to that opinion, it will actually be the first time in ten years that the Miami Heat will send reserve center Thomas Bryant to the Indiana Pacers. Nonetheless, the rumor mill will be in overdrive now leading up to the league’s trade deadline on February 6th. In everyone’s favorite NBA subplot (main plot?), fans call on their Sherlock Holmes to investigate every cryptic social media post from players and every minor transaction that is announced.

This is clear from the initial reactions to this trade. With all due respect to Bryant – whose presence on an NBA roster marks him as one of the best basketball players in the world – most fans aren’t tripping over themselves to figure out how effective he can be in the pick-and-roll with Tyrese or Haliburton TJ McConnell.

No. With the Jimmy Butler trade hype dominating the headlines lately, the next question that comes up is how this trade could lead to a bigger move.

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Butler’s $48.8 million salary and the multitude of hurdles that must be overcome in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement make completing a trade a challenging endeavor. Given the strict salary matching rules (which are stricter for some teams than others), it’s likely that with any Butler transfer, multiple players will return to the Heat in return.

NBA teams are allowed to have a maximum of 15 players on their books during the regular season (excluding two-way players). Before Bryant’s move, the Heat had 14 players, leaving one spot on the roster open. With Bryant’s departure, the Heat now have 13 players, below the league’s minimum roster requirement. This needs to be resolved within about two weeks.

Have now two Open roster spots give the team more flexibility in a potential deal that brings back multiple players. This gives them one more player they can easily add, or one less player they would have to give up or give up in a major trade.

Is this move a harbinger of a huge turnaround in the form of a Butler deal? Something like a Warriors package for Butler could net three to five players in return, making those scenarios a little easier to navigate.

It’s always fun to see the media and fandom speculate about the next dramatic, sexy move in the NBA’s transaction-heavy focus. However, sometimes things are much simpler.

The Pacers were looking for a backup center for most of the season after their loss both from the options they had on the roster in James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson to Achilles’ tears. Bryant has struggled to find a consistent role anywhere since tearing his ACL in 2021, but he has demonstrated intriguing ball skills at the center position throughout his career and is acquired at a modest price.

For the Heat, this is likely simply a matter of making room for another of their diamonds in the rough, which they unearthed in 26-year-old guard Dru Smith. Smith, who is currently on a two-way contract with the team, impressed with his tenacious defense and commitment to the subtle, intangible contributions that help win games. He was trusted to close out multiple games during the Heat’s recent winning streak, and he has more than earned the opportunity.

The Heat were right in front of the second tax barrier and had little flexibility to stay under it while they signed Smith to a standard contract and tried to pursue anything else going forward. With Bryant’s salary off their books, they can sign Smith and still have some breathing room under the secondary apron. Bryant didn’t get many minutes anyway, and rookie Kel’el Ware can step in for backup minutes to further his development.

We’re all excited about an impending superstar transfer, but we can also take a breath, sit down and enjoy what appears to be a big moment for a little-known player in Smith. He recovered from an ACL injury last year and earned a rotation spot for the surging Heat.

He continued to earn more players, playing 20 or more minutes in four of his last five games. During that span, he has averaged 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 24.4 minutes per game. His defense against opposing ballplayers was, frankly, a little mean. With a great combination of speed and strength, he is a real troublemaker in this regard.

Smith is earning praise from head coach Erik Spoelstra for his “superpower” of consistency in winning plays and looks like he could write another #HeatCulture success story.