Brooklyn Nets Acquire Haywood Highsmith in Trade With Miami Heat

The Brooklyn Nets just made any conversation surrounding their 2025-26 active roster even more interesting. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Brooklyn has traded a protected 2026 second-round pick to the Miami Heat in exchange for a 2032 second-round pick and Haywood Highsmith. Brooklyn later confirmed the transaction on X.

Highsmith, 28, had been with Miami since the 2021-22 season after going undrafted in 2018. Prior to joining the Heat, Highsmith bounced between the Philadelphia 76ers and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Since his arrival in South Beach, Highsmith has been a rotation favorite for Head Coach Erik Spoelstra. His scrappy style of play and consistent effort on the defensive end embodied "Heat Culture," yet it appears the 6-foot-5 forward became a salary cap casualty.

"Heat shed Highsmith's salary to lessen their salary bill," Sharania posted in a follow-up to the breaking news. "Nets send Miami a 2026 second-rounder that is protected 31-55."

In this trade, Brooklyn adds another versatile, two-way wing to an already-crowded forward room, but the deal's impact transcends Highsmith's potential fit.

The Nets' roster now stands at 21, including Ziaire Williams and Day'Ron Sharpe, who have agreed to new deals despite not yet having put pen to paper. The franchise can only carry 21 players into training camp, meaning there isn't presently an open spot for Cam Thomas, who remains a restricted free agent.

So while the addition of Highsmith will help shore up Brooklyn's perimeter defense, it complicates the business side of things. Now if the Nets' front office hopes to come to any sort of an agreement with Thomas, someone will have to be waived/released/traded for such a transaction to come together.

Now, this is obviously something the organization is aware of, as it wouldn't have pulled the trigger on Highsmith knowing that it would rule out any possibility of Thomas returning. If anything, the move signals that more deals are likely coming.

Whether or not Highsmith sticks around will be up to management, although he does seem to be the exact type of player Head Coach Jordi Fernandez would like to lean on while establishing Brooklyn's identity.

The Nets will now be forced to cut ties with someone ahead of training camp if Thomas is to be in attendance, and they eventually need to trim their guaranteed contracts to 15. With Highsmith in the mix, Brooklyn now has 18 players on such deals.

Stay tuned—more moves should be coming.