The Oklahoma City Thunder are finalizing a move to send striker Trevor Ariza to the Miami Heat for striker Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick, sources told ESPN.
Once the transaction is finalized through a business call with the NBA office on Wednesday afternoon, Leonard is not expected to be part of the Thunder going forward, sources said.
Ariza, 35, offers Miami a versatile and accomplished band player for his drive in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Ariza has not played a game in a year, opting for Orlando’s reboot for family considerations as a member of the Trail Blazers.
Leonard, who was fined $ 50,000 by the NBA for an anti-Semitic insurgency last week, had to drop the non-swap clause in his two-year contract, which included a team option for 2021-22, which will decline as part of a procedural issue in the realization of the agreement.
Leonard, who received shoulder surgery at the end of the season in February, liked to facilitate the deal as a gesture of good faith to the Heat organization, where he has been playing since arriving at a Portland trade in 2019.
The key to the deal for Oklahoma City was to store another future draft pick. Oklahoma City switched to another 2027 second-round pick last week in a deal with Detroit. Oklahoma City has amassed 17 first-round picks and 15 second-round picks through the 2027 draft. The wait is for Oklahoma City to keep Leonard under contract until Thursday’s trade deadline in case there is a chance to ‘use his contract in another transaction, sources said.
Since his comments on March 8, Leonard has been working with the South Florida Jewish community, sources said. He will continue to rehabilitate his shoulder and train in the area.
Oklahoma City acquired Ariza as part of a three-season off-season deal with Detroit and Dallas. In a single week, Ariza was traded from Portland to Houston to Detroit to Oklahoma City.
Ariza has a $ 12.8 million contract.
After starting the season with Sacramento a year ago, Ariza was traded to the Trail Blazers, where he averaged 11 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21 outings. Ariza has averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his career in 16 seasons.