Overview

• Miami sent forward Haywood Highsmith and an unprotected 2032 second-round pick to Brooklyn in return for a 2026 second-round pick protected from Nos. 31–55 and only conveyed if the Nets finish among the league’s top five records.
• The move pushes Miami several million dollars below the luxury-tax threshold, generates a one-year $5.6 million trade exception and reduces its roster to 13 players on standard contracts.
• Highsmith underwent successful meniscus surgery on Aug. 8 and is expected to miss 8–10 weeks of action while rehabbing his knee.
• Brooklyn absorbs Highsmith’s $5.6 million expiring salary into its roughly $22 million of available cap space but must trim its roster to 15 standard contracts before the season.
• With the 2026 pick’s stringent protections making its conveyance unlikely, Miami prioritized financial relief and roster flexibility over an immediate on-court return.