What Else Can the Miami Heat Do Now and Next Summer?

What Else Can the Miami Heat Do Now and Next Summer?

with Miami’s offseason moves likely done we’re answering your questions about the team’s future who should be starting next season who’s the next star player the heat could pursue and is this version of the heat done we open up the mailbag on today’s episode of Locked on [Music] heat you are locked on heat your daily Miami Heat podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day [Music] welcome to lock on heat your everyday podcast on the Miami Heat whether you’re tuning in on YouTube Odyssey or your favorite podcast app thanks for making locked on heat your first listen every day Monday to Friday I’m Wes Goldberg I’m the editor at allou can heat.com here with David rill both of us our credentialed heat media members and today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app create an account use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase terms apply before we get into today’s mailbag I want to read this message from Sean who responded to our show yesterday about whether or not the walls are closing in on the Miami Heat he says this as a threeyear Heat season ticket member who’s locked in for two more seasons I can appreciate the Heats not wanting to tank and put a competitive team on the floor each season obviously I don’t want to spend my money and time watching a sorry team lose a bunch of games however the heat are at a Crossroads the team is not nearly good enough to win a championship but just a little too good if healthy to actually miss the playoffs and get a lottery pick heat culture gets attributed to Pat Riley but it’s champion ionships and finals appearances were only made possible by Dwayne Wade with his play and recruiting of LeBron Bosch and Jimmy the heat shouldn’t waste this season running it back there doesn’t seem to be a trade that can help the uh them compete for a championship I would take a chance on both Zack LaVine and Lonzo ball since the Bulls would give them both away but most Heat fans don’t like that idea so it’s probably best to semi tank to keep our pick for a draft that has a lot of talent trade Jimmy to New Orleans for Brandon Ingram if he plays well then maybe he’d have found a young startup pair with bam if he plays badly he’s in contract Year let him walk for cap space or use him as a trade asset for a star player unload players like T Rosier and Duncan Robinson to teams with cap space to lower your cap hit even more and play the younger players a lot this season and that’s the end of Sean’s message so we’re going to get into a little bit of this whole topic more in today’s mailbag David but I think Shawn might generally have the right idea even if I disagree with some of those specific trades Jimmy for brand Ingram all those things but the heat the more I look at this chess board it feels like the heat are planning to make moves next year and not this summer would you agree on that yeah I think there was a limit to what they could do and I think the expectation is that Jimmy will be at that specific Crossroads and he is the biggest piece on that chessboard they’ve got bam locked in they’ve got their young players I think the market for some of the role players that might have been viewed as tradable assets whether Duncan Robinson Tyler herro Etc there was a limited market for that and I think you’re looking at next off season and you can probably start what might be considered a reset if not a full rebuilt I think they’re looking at next I I yes they obviously were looking at the market to see what would be available that thing wasn’t available when Jimmy Butler decided not to force a tough decision perhaps and just say you know what I’m just going to play my contract I’ll deal with this next year when Jimmy Butler decided to just deal with this next year it kind of felt like the heat also decided to just deal with this all next year and you’ve been kind of talking about this as the Last Dance I’ve called it a gap year I don’t really know what it is all I know is maybe it’s a Bridge season into the the next era of Heat basketball we could call it all these different things yeah but that big move just hasn’t really been out there I do think that the heat looked I think they’re still looking they’re still three months between now and the start of next season but as we’ve seen over the first basic basically month of this offseason and the two offseasons prior it’s really hard to just trade for a star player I know fans want to snap their fingers and say go get Trey young go get Larry marinin do all these things and it’s it’s it’s clearly not that easy and it hasn’t been that easy now for a very long time it’s not a matter of just trading tahiro for a star player as much as maybe Miami has even wanted to make that has wanted that to be the case perhaps for guys like Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell and Damen lud and whatever so uh I do think that there is something to that this is about now I think that they’ll still look between now and the trade deadline as they always are but it does really it does feel a lot like maybe next summer might be the summer but we’re going to dive into all that kind of stuff here as we get into the mailbag let’s start with this first question from Brian who writes in well should we address uh Sean’s overall point about I mean so there were some specific moves there that he had you know mentioned you know I think we can kind of not necessarily Zine no too too long under contract not going to happen Lonzo ball he’s probably not even he’s calling for like basically a full tear down of the roster and I just I still I’m at a point now where I just don’t see that like you have bam at a bio and I don’t know that when you have bam under contract for the next four seasons that you’re ever going to be bad enough like I mean they’ve got haime hakz they’ve got niiko yovic they they’ve got enough good young players on his roster and with Eric spoler here I I I don’t see them ever getting to the point where they’re going to lose less than 35 games Win less than 35 games I mean win less than 35 games yeah so he said for a he called for a semi tank uh whether or not that’s trading Jimmy or whatever and again we I don’t we’ve talked about so many different Jimmy Butler trade ideas I’m almost sick of it at this point but a semi tank that’s not a complete tear down that is I I think and I think you and I talked about this off air maybe yesterday it’s hey if this team if it’s looking like a playin team again in February March April maybe there is a madeup hamstring issue for Jimmy Butler at the end of the year you know maybe there is a madeup shoulder injury for banab bio for the last month of the Season specifically because this 2025 draft is supposed to be so loaded and yeah they’re not going to have any chance at Cooper flag but the Hawks just went from ninth in Lottery odds to first it’s not impossible and if this team is just saying like look we’re limping again into the playoffs do we really want to do this again would not put I know that the heat never tank and blah blah blah they have they’ve done this before where in the last month of the year it looks like all hope is lost and they say you know what some made up injuries here and there kind of go and then you keep your pick which is top 14 protected if the heat make the playoffs that pick goes to Oklahoma City if they want a pick in 2025 I don’t know I I’m just I I wouldn’t take it off the table as an option it’s not like I’m predicting that that’s going to happen it just it really depends on where this team is at the end of the season but that to me would be would be like what the semi tank looks like not sort of to your point David trading a bunch of players right now fair enough all right uh Brian writes in as much as everybody wanted a big move next season or this season next offseason has a bunch of guys on tradable expiring deals or one-year options isn’t it better to run it back this year for the optionality next offseason versus making lateral moves such as Zack LaVine bran Ingram that will cost more long-term money so Brian says it’s really next summer that it’s all about you agree kind of an extension yeah an extension of the the first question there I think it’s a it’s it’s kind of saying you know what similar to what we kind of are on the same page about you know those kind of moves for Ingram LaVine Etc not going to help Miami it’s it’s not necessarily change for change’s sake but you’re neither getting worse to such a huge degree that you improve your draft lottery ODS or you’re not getting significantly better to the point where you’re going to be a great playoff performer or anything like that or assure yourself a top four seed in the Eastern Conference adding Ingram presumably to you know uh to replace Tyler herro isn’t gonna take this team into a top five offense like I don’t I don’t think that’s the case I don’t know where New Orleans W up last year but I but I just don’t think it’s gonna make that move Zack LaVine who knows what you’re getting from him like does he have the potential to be an All-Star level performer sure but he’s also of injured and I think uh a little bit older and I don’t know that he’s going to fit into this group necessarily and again if you’re looking to maintain flexibility for next off season than adding his contract which is significantly heavier three years 150 left yeah than Tyler Heroes that’s a step backward financially so that those kind of moves are very shortsighted and they don’t translate into any kind of real progress or Improvement so I agree with Brian I think if you’re going to be updating this roster or over hauling it to any kind of degree you’re going to have to wait until next year the moves that everybody kind of called for this offseason just didn’t exist whether for a superstar it was Donovan Mitchell or bust yep and it didn’t work out that way Donovan Mitchell if he had chosen not to resign with Cleveland that would have opened a door for Miami to be like hey guess what we’ll gladly take your contract here and then who knows what would have happened with Jimmy who knows it’s sort of funny right because last year we were just strung along by Damen Lillard for three months and we’re like wow we still have hope we still have hope we still have hope this Summer that hope the door on that hope was shuts was Dash right away like Donovan Mitchell went on Instagram live and said I’m resigning he resigned Cleveland we’re like oh well now what but it’s basically the same song and dance as last summer except it’s we we weren’t strung along which I guess is better uh to your point on Zack LaVine I think he’d be a great fit on this roster if he was making $25 million he’s not he’s making twice that that’s the problem and in today’s CBA you get two max players That’s What You Get Right unless you’re Philadelphia or some of these other teams that say you know what we’re going to go all in on three and and the hell with the luxury tax we’re just going to blow by it or whatever it is you basically get two max players two players making 50 million plus Bam’s already making that with this new extension he’s going to be making that the question for Miami is not if M if if Miami were to explore the Zack LaVine trade the question wouldn’t be does Zack LaVine make us better that’s not the question that they have to answer the question is is Bam metab bio and Zack LaVine as a tandem good enough to help us win a Championship clearly the answer to that question is no and every other front office has to asks that same question is Zack LaVine good enough to be one of our max players and the answer is obviously no for every front office in the league and that’s why the Bulls can’t give Zack LaVine away it has nothing to do with Zack LaVine as a player I like Zack LaVine as a player he’s making way too much money he’s making he’s making way and Brandon Ingram is sort of the new Zack LaVine where he’s going to be an interesting test case right exactly will be where he wants $1 million extension four years basically he wants zline money yeah I don’t know the front office that gives him that and I think we’re going to enter a world now in the NBA where these guys who have always been sort of like like the the outline of a max player but not really ever impact winning basketball the way that a max player ought to I think we’re getting where in the past you just gave them the max because you were like whatever just give them the Max and the the the hard crap is fake and we can kind of blow by it if we have to and spend the luxury T let’s just get the guy teams can’t do that anymore right the it’s not just the financial constrictions it’s how punitive going over that second tax even the first tax is from a roster construction standpoint it’s just harder to fill in the gaps now when you’re a luxury tax team and so I think when Brandon Ingram enters free agency next year because I don’t see that extension happening for him when he enters free agency next year he’s not going to make that money and so it’s going to be an interesting test case on where sort of these in between sort of all- starish kind of Fringe players end up having to negotiate but with all that that being said if it is about next summer then there are a few names that could be available that Brian alluded to guys on expiring contracts or one-year options we’ll talk about those names also what else can the heat do this summer we’re going to talk about all of that next on lockd on heat today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time killer last minute deals all in prices the views from your seat feature and their lowest price guarantee all that and more that’s what makes game time the best available price to get tickets it takes the guesswork out of buying tickets for Major League Baseball concerts comedy shows whatever you’re looking for you’re gonna find it over in 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exactly what you’re getting when you buy those tickets no added fees nothing at the last minute kind of change what you the final price tag might be that’s why you should download the game time app today and then create an account and if you use the code locked on NBA you get $20 off your first purchase terms you apply but again create an account and redeem the code l c Ked o n NBA and you get $20 off so download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed we’ll be right back thanks for making lock on heat your first listen every day Miami Heat talk every day 5 days a week if you’re new to us on YouTube hit that subscribe button like the video you can also follow us on your favorite podcast app so going back to Brian’s question here about maybe next summer is a summer well who are the stars that are going to be available next summer the free agent Market isn’t doesn’t project to be awesome Larry marinin is sort of the big name but I think he’s probably going to sign an extension so he’s not going to be available um Brandon Ingram again we just talked about that that’s not really the big name Kyrie Irving has a player option I don’t really see that happening it feels like he’s pretty happy in Dallas but you never know uh but the Heat have also had a chance to acquire Kyrie iring in the past and declined to even try so um I’m more looking at not the free agent class but players who might be in more of a Donovan Mitchell situation one year left on their contract unwilling to extend and might be able to be acquired in a trade all right and the first name I go to is dearen Fox he’s basically said that he’s not interested in signing the extension right now he does have another year to do it right so that makes sense why he wouldn’t sign it now wants to see how the season plays out I like demard de rzan for Sacramento I think that was a fine move it doesn’t put them at Championship contending tier though makes them a little bit better in in a very competitive Western Conference but I don’t look at the Kings on the same level as Oklahoma City Minnesota Denver they’re not there and so Darren fox has been there for a long time he’s been in Sacramento for a long time beautiful good soldier does he get sick of it you know and and he might I’ve I’ve been a I’ve had a chance to interact with dearon Fox quite a bit he for All For What It’s Worth he seems very happy there he loves being sort of the face of the franchise um he has a home and a family in in the Sacramento area he seems good but at what point do you just look around you say you know enough enough is enough I’m ready for a change of scenery I want to win at the highest level yeah bam out of Bio Kentucky Deen Fox Kentucky that’s the guy I’m looking at no prediction no reporting just the guy I’m looking at no yeah I I I think you know this isn’t uh this isn’t kind of pushing the narrative or the idea or anything like that because I I just this is how it works out in the NBA a player who has been in a situation like Sacramento where he’s gone through losing they make incremental growth they’re a very good team not a great team they’re a good team in the Western Conference they’ve made the playoffs now now a couple seasons in a row it’s it’s it’s uh you know it’s interesting to see where he’s going to what he wants to do next because he’s at that point where he’s made some money I think he’s as you said due for a bigger contract yeah so he’s at a very crucial Point kind of like what we saw with Donovan um and you know Utah made that decision for Donan basically saying you know what we’re we don’t see you as part of our future they made the decision to kind of blow things up what a lot of Miami fans are calling for from the heat front off and you know that’s too late that ship has sailed and I don’t know that they had either a ruby a Rudy gber to trade to Minnesota for five picks nor did they have a Donovan Mitchell that they could trade for everything they got from Cleveland so you know now Sacramento’s at a point instead they’re going the opposite route they’re saying you know what we we want to sink as much as we can into this phase and hope for the best and maybe they can maybe they can get lucky and maybe they can’t get to the Western Conference Finals from all the reports they’re not done either they’re looking to acquire right a market and somebody else that kind of compliment yeah that’s the plan who knows if that pans out or not but as far as Fox is concerned like you have to look at this season and they made their big moves maybe they get Lori maybe they don’t regardless he’s at a point now where he’s like you know what I want to win I’m gonna get my money either Sacramento or elsewhere that’s not the point I want to win and if they can’t get it done and knowing that they’ve locked into sabonis they’re locked into to roen for the next couple seasons and if they can’t still get it done he might be like you know what I I’ve tried ride here I I was as you said the dutiful Soldier but I’ve got to go explore other options so that I could start carving out my own legacy in a different way and maybe playing alongside a good friend and former teammate in bam bio is the way to go he’s talked about Miami culture he’s talked about the coaching staff and the stability and everything else like that yeah that has to be appealing to a player like him I mean I know there’s a another player that kind of fits the same mole that maybe we can talk about I don’t know what his contract situation is but that’s for another question that we were asked about uh what team say all right good tease um he’s going to be 27 Deen Fox will be you mentioned he’s gonna get paid he’s GNA get paid all of the money all of the years Dar Fox is an awesome player he’s a borderline all NBA guy put him on a winning team in a bigger Market he is an all-nba guy maybe a perennial all NBA guy showed up big time in the playoffs two years ago with a broken fingertip or something or whatever it was against the Golden State Warriors if not for they probably beat the Warriors in that series uh he’s awesome he’s developed as a three-point shooter and if you’re building around bam atab bio going forward and his timeline obviously from an age perspective Deen Fox fits but on the court that’s perfect everything that damont sabonis has been able to provide Dean fox in terms of a two-man game partnership bam manab bio brings all of that stuff too plus can actually play defense right where in a way that bonus can’t so on the court it’s a great fit too and and Darren Fox is a smart guy he understands that like I don’t want to get Sacramento Kings fans mad we’re not trying to trade your best player but if if you’re the Heat and you’re looking down the road and you’re like all right who could be the next star available now that Damen Lillard Donovan Mitchell like all the ships have sailed on those guys that’s one guy that I have mentioned and you mentioned two one other guy that we’ll get to later on let’s quick is there anybody that’s more of a mid-tier guy because I think there’s a lot of frustration that Miami’s plan is always acquired the next Superstar but is there Jeremy grants the Kyle kosas all that stuff the problem is that these players are so hard to acquire in this new apron world and I don’t want to get into all the numbers and stuff it’s it’s it’s a worthwhile question it’s just the mid-tier guy was T Rosier that was it that was the guy uh maybe there’s a lateral move you swap Tyler hero from another for like yeah maybe that stuff is out there but even trading Tyler hero from Brandon Ingram right now the heat can’t do that and neither can New Orleans by the way like it’s not just easy like doing that right it’s not and hey the Hawks are trying to give Trey young away no they’re not Trey Young’s value is so that they’ve decided that it’s not worth trading him there’s a very big difference between all of that stuff right and so I see all this stuff all the time in our comments and it’s like all right do how well do you know the second apron rules how well do you know the first apron rules because this stuff is really difficult to do um that’s why Miami by the way made the T Rosier trade also when they did it was because it was before all these new apron rules got layered on top of what they’re doing um malikai writes in and this will be a quick one how much money exactly does the Heat have left and could they swing a deal with tus Jones to come in and be a backup point guard no they have they have sorry $1.5 million under the second apron not only can they not sign tus Jones who’s a free agent they can’t even sign Cole swier they can’t sign Alis Williams to a standard roster spot so not now right like later down to se later down to season as a pro-rated contract in March as a pro rated whatever yeah but yes tus Jones here’s some breaking news will not also be available in March he’s going to get signed by somebody uh none of that stuff the pro rated crap I don’t care about that it’s March right now this team is what it is this is the 14-man roster unless they make some sort of salary cap saving move which all indications are and all the reporting around it and I’ve heard the same thing they’re not interested in just making a move just to save some money to go out and sign a free agent who is still available right now so yeah um what will the Heat starting lineup be we got a bunch of questions about that we’ve been pitched some surprising options we’ll talk about all of that next on lock on heat thanks for making lock on heat your first listen every day Miami Heat talk every day 5 days a week if you’re new to us on YouTube hit that subscribe button it’s the best way to support us let us know in the comments section what stars you’re looking at down the line also follow us on your favorite podcast app we’ve got some starting lineup questions let’s just jump into them really quick Claudia writes in who starts Duncan or Tyler who do you think I think it’s I think it’s Duncan I think Miami has to be at a point where they recognize what Tyler is capable of and and egos be damned and everything else like that this is I think a situation where they can help Tyler and he might be resistant to it but mean we’re talking about Tyler’s best season realistically as a pro was him coming off the bench and winning six man of the year and and being that kind of player where everybody was like you know what he’s he’s very valuable in that specific role and instead of asking him to do too much and if that’s the case it it helps the team by getting that kind of player Off the Bench it also helps the player so that you could fine-tune Your Role like look look at Malik monk right I mean Malik monk is making less than Tyler whatever but Malik monk was basically out of the league he’s been like on third team in his many years he was really like devalued in terms of what he was capable of bringing and then he goes to Sacramento and they were like you know what we’re going to use you in this specific way and it works and yes he hit big shots and he did a lot of good things for a team that’s on the RO but I I think that’s where Tyler needs to kind of accept the reality that those days however unrealistic it was for him to even utter to be in the same sentence as Luka donic and Trey young and everything else that’s that realistic it never was maybe but it certainly isn’t now and that being the case then you have to say you know what star in your role and your role as a star might be as a six-man to be the best six man you can be so to me I think Duncan greases the wheels offensively for this team in a way that Tyler cannot Tyler coming off the bench is a much more helpful player I think and a guy who can develop chemistry with Kevin Love with Hime hakz and with KH we should he be off the bench I agree with everything you’re saying Tyler herro as a six-man is literally the best in the league at that the last time he did it he’s the best at that the heat really struggled at being Elite at anything last year I know being having an elite six Man of the Year doesn’t make you necessarily but it’s something it helps right it helps and Duncan Robinson to your point the way that he’s just so comfortable playing off the ball I remember him talk talking with him on this podcast about how he fits in with guys like bam and Jimmy and he was very he said he it was it’s a math problem right it’s Jimmy and Bam want to operate in the mid-range I could do the mid-range stuff but playing next to them I’ve got to dominate from three-point range I got and that’s why I decided to you know learn how to put the ball on the ground and attack Closeouts and get to the basket all those shots have to be efficient he helps Miami’s offense in a Rous way so I agree with everything you said but I’ll believe that Tyler hero is coming off the bench when I see it in terms of what I think will happen not what I think should happen that’s very different uh what do I think will happen I still think tyah hero is going to start but I could be wrong and what could what’s the issue here like I mean we’re we’re so here’s what I think is Eric spoler has recognized if no matter who comes off the bench Duncan Tyler whatever we still stink on offense and we’re going to stink on offense no matter matter what our high our the only way to hit a higher ceiling is for Tyler hero to learn how to play next to Jimmy and Bam because the one thing about Tyler that guy goes out and scores 20 points a game and Duncan Robinson as much as we love him there’s a lot of off shooting nights for that guy and there’s I mean there are and so it’s with Tyler he’s just more productive and I think that Eric spoler is always sort of ER on this volume though shot volume you know that’s the whole thing I I know maybe more efficient I mean he’s he can get to more spots on the floor I mean he’s just going to fill in the numbers how more efficient well maybe not more efficient but he’s just he’s more consistently putting points on the board more shots so yeah that’s the whole thing though it’s like like okay you’re not wrong you’re not wrong but I do think that Tyler herro is more talented than Duncan Robinson and I that’s what I was and look you’re you’re making me argue the case that I just argued against but I think what spol always said was I think spoler thinking and this front office’s thinking has always been for us to hit a ceiling offensively we need Tyler Jimmy and Bam to figure this out together and whe if Tyler does come off the bench it will be them giving up on that happening and that’s sort of where I’m at so and that’s why I said I’ll believe it when I see it I I could that’s the argument then is that Miami ceiling is highest when Tyler is playing the best he possibly can the problem however is that Tyler does not often play the best he possibly can and hard fit by the way it’s a really clunky fit with him Jimmy and Bam it doesn’t make it easier on Tyler either it’s not all on him point and I think this is what a lot of fans are thinking is is at some point the coaching staff has to be like look I know that you make us better when you’re playing your best but you don’t always play your best and so your best role role is not as a star but as a six and for the record he was doing that last year remember at the end of the season and then Duncan Robinson had back problems and Tyler her had to go back into the starting lineup but he was very open with reporters about hey this is what I’m going to do and I’m still I’m the six starter or whatever and for now and all these things maybe the best compromise is Duncan Robinson starts games and Tyler hero closes games because Hero’s shot making at the end of the games is so important I love that I think that’s fine I I I don’t know why it’s so hard to separate that like I he’s 24 this is year six for the kid and it’s like you know what man like no one gives a damn whether you start or not like that ship is sailed it’s it’s not that big a deal like Tyler needs to kind of divest the idea like I got to be a star a starter it’s like no dude just you’re getting paid a lot of money like you’re already who you are and that’s you’re damn good you could be damn good he just needs to embrace that and and take some of that ego off but you know what it’s easier send that done without that ego he wouldn’t be one of the 400 best NBA player basketball players in the world and that’s that’s the whole thing is like it’s easier said than done we’re talking about it from this side of the microphone but over there like he is an NBA star he isba player he’s he’s an NBA player and this is the part of your NBA career where you create your reputation right if you start if Tyler hero knows and he’s being I bet he’s being told this if you start coming off the bench now you just become that guy that’s it yeah that’s it you’re just the sixth man for the rest of your career it’s really hard to do that and and that’s the part that people really don’t Outsiders are just just come off the Ben it’s Tyler Hero has his own career to think about here and that’s why I’ve always said like for Miami maybe it is best for a change of for both these guys you know I like Tyler herro I think he’s tremendously he’s got to go to a lottery team he’s got to go to a lottery team where he’s just put up shots and be like yeah you know what or with or with a team with a ball dominant player with a star unlike Jimmy Butler Jimmy Butler just gives the ball away all the time if you were playing next to like Luca or Shay good luck uh handling the ball all the time Tyler hero it’s not going to work he want to Zack LaVine who played in Minnesota for those two seasons that was putting up a bunch of points and he gave a dam because they were a really bad team yeah I don’t I I think he wants to start he’s he sees himself as a starter he wants to make All-Star games all those things uh let’s do lightning round on the rest of our lineup questions just give me five names uh as an answer to this uh Stephen writes in starting five game one so opening night who you got uh Terry Duncan Jimmy Nico bam I’ve got Terry Tyler again I’ll believe it when I see it yep Jimmy Nico bam uh CJ writes in how long until khil wear is starting when the team finds themselves 20 games under 500 I’ll say um uh 12 months oh no uh next not this upcoming October but the next one so 1425 yeah okay uh the jimm reaper writes in thoughts on running yic at point guard in a lineup of niika yic Duncan Robinson Jimmy Butler Haywood heith and ban manab bio I I still like the idea in terms of like he can create stuff he can bring the ball up and all that but I think you still just needs somebody who’s a a little bit more of a Shor handed dribble option to can drive to the rim and stuff like that n yeah Nico at this point cannot do that like had you gotten a guard in free agency or in the draft that maybe could have filled that role then I could see you saying you know what we’re just you know like Lamar that’s a comp I’ve always made but it’s uh you know he played alongside point guards Derek fiser in Los Angeles and stuff like that you know or even Dam yeah so you just need somebody else who can handle that role because you’re a secondary option that can do it at a high level and I think that’s where Nico is I would just argue for fans that are obsessed because I’ve seen this so much nikovic should play point card and all these things what’s the difference whether or not he’s lab listed as a point guard or a power forward the guy is still still brings the ball up a bunch still handles the ball the last two months of last season he initiated the first play of every Miami Heat game yeah yeah like who cares if he’s a point guard a power forward a center a umpire like whatever you want to call him it doesn’t matter he’ll get the opport still doing stuff right yeah Rel look at the opportunity yeah he’s gonna be out on the floor he’s probably gonna start if he’s healthy it matters what matters is that he can knock down those threes that he can make plays for others that he can get to the rim and get to the line and that he can play defense at a higher ER sper has said and spoler has said this we don’t need a traditional point guard we don’t view ourselves as a team with a traditional point guard we want everybody to handle the ball and by the way I think that’s a very modern and appropriate way to think about basketball because the problem with traditional point guards is all they can do is be point guards because they’re usually 6’2 and all they do is hand shoot and they had a ky right as as we move along the Celtics just won a championship with Jason Tatum nobody would call him a point guard guard he initiated the entire offense for an entire playoffs for Boston Drew holiday and D white were quote unquote their point guards they never initiated their offense it doesn’t matter anymore it doesn’t matter unless you have a guy who is sort of like the center of the of your basketball Universe like James Harden Luca donic like those kinds of point guards who are creating efficient shots for their teammates almost every single possession unless you have one like a Luca donic kind of guy then it makes more sense to even to do it more in this way which is is what the heat are doing and you know what and that guy that guy he’s a point guard but he’s dialing up his number a lot too press a point guard over at Luca sure yeah I mean he’s all he does is yeah everything starts and stops with him right um which is fine because the Mavericks still are an elite offense way better than what the Heat have been over the last couple years Ron writes in which Team USA player outside of bam atab bio is most likely to play for the heat in the future do you want to get your crystal ball out David yeah it’s uh Devon Booker I said it before I’ll say it again I think he’s at that point like we’re looking at this this offseason with Phoenix and it’s like oh we’re talking we’re hearing Rumblings already that Kevin Durant might Force his way out of Phoenix to Houston and if that’s the case like that thing is gonna go ass over t k really quickly in Phoenix like he’s already dealt with it this is like his ninth coach in as many seasons like he’s just he’s just tired of it he’s got to be he’s got to be like he’s getting paid he likes the Kardashians stuff he likes all the The Flash everything off the court but guess what man like at some point he’s got to be frustrated with what’s happening on the court if that’s the case I think he’s going to be the next guy to really ask out in a big way like they’re gonna get stuck with Bradley Beal and not much else and he’s gonna be like nope that’s not what I signed up for yeah we’ll see what happens Kevin Durant uh told Yahoo sports this past week that he’s really happy in Phoenix but you know Kevin Durant goes from yeah he goes from happy to unhappy real quick or he tends to uh they can’t trade Bradley Beal because he still has the no trade clause so they’re stuck with that um if they want to break up that roster uh I don’t think that they’re at the point yet where Phoenix is willing to break up that roster and for the record I don’t think that Deon Booker is looking around saying I’m ready to leave no but bam atab bio if I’m his conary right now I’m telling bam hey spend as much time around Devon Booker as you possibly can you will be his best friend by the time you come back home from Paris because if Devin Booker were to ever look around at Phoenix and say you know what it’s just not working here right he’s goingon to make it make it so that he’s the first person you he thinks about when he’s thinking about who can I kind of attach my wagon to here and uh to your point a little bit kind of what we were talking about with dearn Fox and Sacramento if you’re looking around that Sacramento has obviously been a little bit better but even with this Mike Brown stuff they at the beginning of the summer they almost they almost screwed that one up too inexplicably like you want uh structure you want great coaching and that’s the other thing Deon Booker he’s spending a lot of time with bamat bio he’s spending a lot of time with Eric spoler also and he might say I’ve got I’ve been through a billion head coaches in my uh NBA career right now I’m going on with my new one in Mike booler he might just say Eric SP just signed an eight-year extension I could go into Miami live that life and play for Eric spola who’s A Team USA Coach who’s unanimously one of the best coaches in the NBA one of the most respected coaches in the league yeah suppos showing love to the wrong guy like a Anthony Edwards great player reminds him of Dwayne I know there’s something there that SPO is like SPO just sees that guy as like the dog the alpha you know whatever but like you’re you’re you’re heaping love on the wrong guy like maybe that works for de Booker that’s like eight years down the road he already he’s already signed the the super extension all this stuff he’s he’s Minnesota’s seven Bookers are in the corner going why you why don’t you show me love like that why why can I be your guy bam I want be that selfie keep all that love yeah what what was it asah Wilson that bam out a bio was photograph with uh having having lunch with that yeah yeah have more lunches with Deon Booker bam more lunches with Deon Booker um last question here for you this one comes from me so I was at uh a friend’s house the other day they ordered pizzas okay two pizzas each pizza with its own topping one was pepperoni one was mushroom at a time in my life David there was a point where I would see Mushroom on pizza and I would walk away that’s not I’m that it’s not being consumed by me uh long story short I have since taught myself to like mushrooms I’m very happy about it people who like mushrooms tend to love mushrooms I was jealous of those people I taught myself to like mushrooms now I love mushrooms I’m a mushroom person I found myself reaching for the mushroom slice over the pepperoni slice and if you would have told me I was going to do that 5 years from now ago I would have said you were crazy but that’s exactly what happened my question isn’t what pizza you’re reaching for my question to you David is there a pizza topping out there that is a walk away topping for you you see it on the pizza you walk away it’s not going to be consumed by you excluding meat like you know that’s a that’s a big part of it right there yeah yeah excluding meat since you’re you’re you’re not eating meat uh I mean veggie I’m trying to think like I don’t know I’m trying to think of like what a bety topping that I just like despise go kind of pizza or pineapple okay no I I don’t I don’t I’m not opposed to anything like just kind of take now that that that people don’t like uh deep dish pizza or anything like that I’m all for it I like soupy pizza too I don’t care Pizza soup whatever you want to complain about like yeah sauce is great bread is great cheese is great that’s what makes pizza like what are you looking for like a a cracker with a little sprinkle of cheese on top get out of here communist um you know I I like people say like oh this is the best pizza in the world here and it’s like this really like wafer thin Ultra burnt cracker with like a Smacker of cheese on top I’m like what is that a pizza man that’s like that’s that’s a punishment so what do you feel about like are are you talking about like a New York style thin slice or you’re just pin slice is fine I’m talking like there’s like this Woodfired cracker Pizza that people like oh I know you’re talking about yeah yeah yeah yeah it’s like that’s that’s punishment Pizza they give that to the goog of pizza people you know like um pineapple is my probably pineapple is probably the one that would be most opposed to before that I would say anchovy which is that is that still a thing like I feel like that’s an old old school toping I know it’s still available but like my question is also like what’s the next thing that you might be open to trying that you currently hate well I’ll give you my my walkway thing and then I’ll answer your your second question there so my walkway item now is chicken o chicken does not belong on Pizza Buffalo chicken doesn’t or absolutely not any chicken chicken I disagree with you there does not belong on Pizza it is not a pizza topping it’s chicken it doesn’t belong on Pizza okay disagree I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me come at me uh there’s barbecue chicken never you had so I’ve I no i’ see that California Pizza Kitchen barbecue sauce is not pizza sauce barbecue sauce is barbecue sauce that’s my most that is my absolute most walkway item barbecue sauce has no business being on pizza or anything shaped like a pizza I disagree you mix it together with a tomato sauce and it’s like Tangy and delicious like don’t be don’t be a pizza snob it’s not pizza it’s got barbecue sauce on it it’s barue why you mix it with tomato it’s just giving it a little Tang it’s pineapple like at no point in time when Romans were sitting around the fire eating their cheesec cracker Pizza concoction where they’re like oh let’s go to to the island of Hawaii and get some pineapple not sure about that yeah doesn’t matter the point is the point is nobody thought pineapple you know people are making sushi out of spam it’s like you know come on let’s get out of here Sushi no it is not we go we we could go down this whole Rabbit Hole I I agree on that chicken barbecue sauce has no business being even on the same table as Pizza get it off of there I stand strongly with that in terms of your second question what’s the next thing I could see myself getting into uh on Pizza I don’t really know I think like I I’m pretty much good with everything like what what’s another vegetable all the meats I’m pretty much eat anything I don’t know who the hell decid put on pizza no that’s weird but like I didn’t even like mushrooms at all and then and then I taught myself to like them and now I’m seeing that I’ll them on Pizza eggplants I’ll eat I like eggplant but eggplant has to be like it’s more of a texture thing but I’ll eat eggplant people people yeah people are like opposed to eggplant and strange it’s like you either love it or you hate it it’s kind of weird The Middle on it I love hey you know what I want to ask people Pizza eggplant Pizza recommendations around South Florida because I don’t think there are one I know there just one place egant is the crust is that how that works no no no no no it’s like it’s like a yeah yeah eggplant is a topping like it’s just it’s not offered a lot of places and you go to pizza places like do you have eggplant are like no we don’t it’s like oh okay well I’m just looking for eggplant so if anybody out there in South Florida has any eggplant Pizza recommendations shoot them on over in our comments David David heads find find the eggplant pizza that’s a good place to end thanks for making lock on heat your first listen every day like comment and subscribe on YouTube and follow us on your favorite podcast out

It’s been a quiet offseason for the Miami Heat but is there anything else they can do to improve the team before next season? Wes Goldberg and David Ramil open the mailbag to answer that and questions about the starting lineup and whether the Heat can trade for De’Aaron Fox or Devin Booker next summer.

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