Miami Was Solving a Payroll Problem, Not Chasing Ryan Anderson
Miami sent Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington to Phoenix for Ryan Anderson at the 2019 deadline. Anderson had fallen out of the Suns' rotation, so the Heat's incentive was financial. His 2019-20 salary carried only a $15.6 million guarantee if waived by the July deadline, while Johnson was owed roughly $19.3 million the next season. Contemporary reporting also credited the move with cutting about $5.1 million from Miami's 2018-19 payroll and reducing its projected luxury-tax bill from about $9.7 million to $1.8 million.
Anderson Barely Played, but the Contract Structure Was the Return
Ryan Anderson appeared in only 10 games for Miami and scored seven total points, so there is no case for a B+ grade based on court production. The useful asset was the altered guarantee and the flexibility it created. Miami later waived Anderson in July 2019. This trade therefore has to be judged differently from a normal player-for-player swap: the Heat accepted almost no basketball production because lowering near-term payroll obligations was the actual objective.
Phoenix Got More Minutes From Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson immediately became a regular for Phoenix, starting 12 of 13 games after the trade and averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He returned for 31 games in 2019-20, though his role shrank to 16.6 minutes and 5.7 points per game before his Suns tenure ended. That is clearly more on-court value than Miami received from Anderson. It is why Phoenix's B grade remains defensible even though the contract cost limited the upside.
Ellington Was a Pass-Through Piece for the Suns
Phoenix waived Wayne Ellington one day after completing the deal, allowing the veteran shooter to enter the buyout market. The Suns therefore did not receive a second rotation player from Miami; their basketball return rested almost entirely on Johnson, plus the cash recorded in the transaction ledger. Johnson gave them useful guard minutes for parts of two seasons, but his backloaded contract was also the obligation Miami was trying to escape. The different objectives keep the final gap small.
Final Verdict
Slight Heat Edge — Miami B+, Phoenix B. Phoenix received the better player production: Tyler Johnson started 12 of 13 games immediately after the trade and remained on the roster into 2019-20, while Ryan Anderson scored only seven points in 10 games for Miami. The Heat still achieved the more important goal attached to its side of the deal by reducing 2018-19 payroll and luxury-tax exposure and swapping Johnson's 2019-20 salary for Anderson's lower guaranteed amount. Wayne Ellington was waived immediately by Phoenix. The result is a narrow Miami edge driven by contract mechanics rather than basketball output.