Q: Having a player still under contract walking into federal court is not a good look. Cut him loose, NBA. – Steve.
A: It’s almost as if the NBA simply wants to wish and wash all this away, as if Terry Rozier’s roster spot, salary-cap hit, luxury-tax implications don’t matter, and that neither does the first-round pick still due from the Heat to the Hornets to complete the 2024 Rozier transaction. But that all matters in roster construction, cap and tax management, as well as trade rules regarding draft picks. So not only should NBA action on those implications not be set aside, they should be acted upon with haste. Burying head in the sand surely cannot be a best business practice.
Q: Ira, part of the thinking with Kel’el Ware is that it allows Bam Adebayo to play power forward since he is a power forward. That’s why they have to keep starting Ware. – Edwin.
A: And this, indeed, is a tricky one, because Bam Adebayo has stressed appreciation of the opportunities when he does not have to defend the biggest and bulkiest of centers. Then again, with the Heat switching so much defensively, it’s not as if Bam necessarily has a constant cover. What you want to do is get your best players on the court as much as practical and as much as possible. For now, it does not appear that Erik Spoelstra views Kel’el as deserving of equal time with Bam. In a purely developmental situation, that might be questioned. But playing to win remains the Heat’s way.
Q: Should the Heat be concerned at all for the Tyler Herro contract renewal with his injury history? – Bob, Davie.
A: Again, Tyler Herro has both this season and next on his contract, so it’s not as if anything has to be imminent. As it is, his extension window does not reopen until July 1. But, yes, time missed matters, and if it is significant beyond his return from ankle surgery, how could it not factor into the equation? For now, it looks like he will be back Tuesday from his toe issue, so that certainly is a step forward.