It’s unrealistic to expect the Heat to add either Kyrie Irving or Jrue Holiday in order to upgrade their point guard situation, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
In Irving’s case, his $39.4MM salary this season would be a major roadblock. If the Mavericks chose to trade Irving at some point, the Heat would likely would need to send three players in return and Dallas already has 15 guaranteed contracts. Additionally, the Mavericks would probably want at least one first-round pick in such a deal and the Heat doesn’t have any tradeable first-round picks.
In Holiday’s case, it’s highly unlikely the Trail Blazers will decide to buy him out. He’s due $34.2MM this season and holds a $37.2MM option for the 2027/28 season. Trading for Holiday would require multiple salaries to be dealt to Portland and it would be difficult to replace them due to Miami’s hard cap status. Portland would also want draft capital that the Heat doesn’t possess.
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Andrew Wiggins is thrilled to be reunited with Klay Thompson, Jackson relays. Wiggins made his comments on a social media video posted by the club. “He’s one of the most competitive people I played with,” Wiggins said. “To have him on the squad is going to be amazing. He brings that championship mentality to the team. This is a year that we can do something special, and he’s someone that can be a big part of it.”
The team does have some limited roster flexibility, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes. They have enough cap room to add a 15th player on a veteran’s minimum deal, though it might be wise for them to keep that spot open to add a player on the buyout market or to facilitate a trade down the road. They could also have more salary to play with if they don’t fully guarantee Myron Gardner’s contract in January. Gardner has a $500K guarantee on his $2,584,539 salary.
At the right price, it would be worthwhile for the front office to sign Pelle Larsson to an extension, Winderman opines in his latest mailbag. Nikola Jovic’s four-year, $62.4MM extension kicks in this season and a reader noted that might have been a mistake by the front office, considering how Jovic underachieved last season. However, Winderman notes that the price of quality reserves continues to rise, plus Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. could enter free agency next summer, which gives the team’s brass even more incentive to lock in Larsson to a long-term deal.