Life can be unfair at times. In just a matter of months, forward Meyers Leonard went from starting in the 2020 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat to being one of the most criticized players by the fans.
Leonard, whose fall down began when he used an anti-semitic slur during live streaming on twitch, was fined $50,000 and suspended from all Heat facilities and team activities.
Now, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Leonard has been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with a a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for Trevor Ariza.
ESPN Sources: Oklahoma City is finalizing a trade to send Trevor Ariza to the Miami Heat for Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick. Leonard must still waive his no-trade clause because of the one-year Bird restriction on his deal, which he’s expected to do for Miami.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 17, 2021
Leonard will not be an active part of the Thunder moving forward and will not report to Oklahoma City, the team said in its statement announcing the deal.
The 26 year-old underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in February after playing only three games this season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per contest.
On the other hand, Ariza, who has averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for his career in 16 seasons, is on a $12.8 million expiring contract.