The Deal
Trail Blazers get: Guard Brian Roberts, Miami's 2021 second-round pick (per CSNNW's Jason Quick)
Heat get: Cash considerations
Miami Heat: A+
The Heat started the season poised to pay $20 million in luxury taxes because they were subject to the harsher repeater tax. Just before the deadline, with their fourth trade of the season, they made it from that point all the way under the tax line.
In the process, Miami gave up just one rotation player (backup point guard Mario Chalmers) and three second-round picks (one of which is top-55 protected).
As Miami reporter Ethan Skolnick joked on Twitter, they don't hang banners for getting under the luxury tax. But there was no realistic move the Heat could have made that would have put them in contention this season, particularly if Chris Bosh is sidelined an extended period. Better not to pay the tax for a non-contending team.
The long-term financial benefits could also be much bigger than this year's savings. By virtue of spending two consecutive years out of the tax, Miami doesn't have to worry about the repeater tax again until 2019-20 at the earliest. It's hard to predict what the Heat's payroll will look like down the line, but we could be talking tens of millions in savings for owner Micky Arison. If the cost is one more distant second-round pick, that's certainly worth it.
Portland Trail Blazers: A
Like Miami, the Blazers had a financial goal for the deadline -- reaching the league's salary floor to both save money and add draft picks. Portland came up just short (about $800,000, per Neil Olshey) but still saved nearly $10 million this season because they will only pay Roberts and fellow addition Anderson Varejao the rest of the year, but their full salaries count against the floor. (That savings does get offset by paying the guaranteed portion of Varejao's 2016-17 salary.)
Having gotten a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers to take on Varejao, the Blazers also added a second-round pick to help refill their cupboard as part of this deal. Since Roberts has no guaranteed salary beyond this season, that was good value.
Additionally, Roberts might be able to help Portland as a backup the rest of the way. Keeping veteran Gerald Henderson signaled that the Blazers are serious about making the playoffs despite the fact that doing so would cost them this year's lottery-protected first-round pick. Terry Stotts isn't likely to change a rotation that lets C.J. McCollum run the point when Damian Lillard is resting, but Roberts is valuable insurance in case one of the two players misses time.