Q: Why did the Heat favor Alec Burks over Delon Wright (and Patty Mills), as well as Thomas Bryant over Orlando Robinson? Also, doesn’t it seem like, with only slightly better maneuvering (Andy Elisburg?), we could have fit a 15th player under the second apron? – Austin, Miami.
A: A lot to unpack there, so I’ll start at the end. Yes, had the Heat brought Kevin Love back on a one-year minimum and gotten Josh Richardson to do the same opt-out/return maneuver as Thomas Bryant (for the same salary, but a lesser cap hit), then, yes, there would have been enough room under the highly punitive second tax apron to add another minimum-scale player. But Josh was under no such obligation. And the Heat clearly valued Kevin to the degree that they were appreciative enough of his opt-out/return still saving them more than $700,000 against the tax ledger. Beyond that, if in the first year of his new deal Haywood Highsmith had taken the slightest of shaves, that also would have opened the needed room for one more addition (Dennis Smith Jr.?). But plenty goes on behind the scenes that we don’t know about. As for Alec Burks, the thinking there seemingly was to get the best possible scorer who was available at the minimum, considering the Heat’s scoring struggles last season. And one thing Alec can do very well is score. As for Thomas Bryant, there clearly was some sort of implied guarantee to bring him back if there was not a significant outside offer. So Orlando Robinson basically got caught in the cap squeeze, more than any assessment of his ability against that of Thomas.
Q: Some of today’s sports fans are absurd: Hoping your team sucks so that it might get to draft the next big college sensation in the hope that three years from now your team has a chance to be pretty good. They’re in need of therapy. – Ray, Deerfield Beach.
A: And fortunately that will not be the prescription ordered by the Heat, who have insisted that any potential playoff path is a path best taken. Plus, if they stay out of the 2025 lottery, then they finally can pay off the first-round pick owed to the Thunder and regain a bit more clarity on their draft future. The only way a tank is even considered is if the Heat are hopelessly out of the playoff race at midseason, which would be hard to fathom considering that bottomless pit that is the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Q: What piqued my curiosity was Caleb Martin saying there were things going on behind the scenes with the Heat that prompted his leaving. What was he referring to? –Linda, Port Saint Lucie.
A: I believe he was referring to the take-it-or-leave-it deadline imposed by the timing of his option clause, that the Heat only were able to offer their five-year, $65 million package if he opted in by that June 30 deadline and then extended. That deadline meant Caleb Martin would not have been eligible to explore free agency. Sometimes it is the rules, more than the relationships, that get in the way.
