Miami Used the Deal to Open a Roster and Tax Path
Miami sent Dewayne Dedmon and its own 2028 second-round pick to San Antonio for cash considerations two days before the 2023 trade deadline. The basketball return was intentionally small. NBA.com reported that moving Dedmon created room under the luxury-tax line and opened flexibility for additional roster moves, while Basketball-Reference records that Miami also received a trade exception. The Heat were paying a future second to remove a veteran center who had fallen out of the rotation and to improve their short-term roster and cap position.
San Antonio Kept the Pick and Quickly Moved On From Dedmon
The Spurs did not acquire Dedmon for an on-court role. San Antonio waived him on February 9, two days after the trade, and he later signed with Philadelphia. That leaves Miami's 2028 second-round pick as the durable basketball asset on the Spurs side. Because the selection is still years away, its eventual player value cannot be graded yet. The correct hindsight treatment is to credit San Antonio for acquiring a real future asset while keeping the grade restrained until the pick conveys and becomes a known selection.
The Heat Got the Financial Result They Wanted
Miami's side was not designed to win a player-for-player comparison. Dedmon had appeared in 30 games for the Heat that season, averaging 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11.7 minutes, but he had played sparingly after a January suspension and was no longer central to the rotation. By moving his contract, Miami gained cash, a trade exception and more room below the tax line. Those are legitimate results for a deadline salary move, even though none of them equal the long-term upside of retaining a future second-round pick.
The Unresolved 2028 Pick Keeps the Verdict Narrow
This trade should not be graded as if San Antonio already turned the 2028 second into a productive player. The pick remains unresolved, and Dedmon never appeared in a game for the Spurs after the transaction. Miami, meanwhile, accomplished the immediate cap and roster objective that motivated the move. The remaining difference is asset durability: San Antonio still owns the future draft value, while Miami's return was consumed as financial flexibility. That supports a modest Spurs edge rather than a decisive win.
Final Verdict
Slight Spurs Edge — Miami C+, San Antonio B-. Miami achieved the immediate purpose of the transaction by moving Dewayne Dedmon, receiving cash and a trade exception, and creating additional tax and roster flexibility. San Antonio waived Dedmon two days later, so its lasting return is the Heat's 2028 second-round pick. Because that pick is still unresolved, the advantage stays narrow, but the Spurs retain the stronger durable asset.