Have Boston Celtics already upped East ante for Miami Heat?
Q: So now the Celtics are going to have Kristaps Porzingis instead of old Al Horford or injured Robert Williams. It’s like last summer all over again for the Heat. Last year, they lost P.J. Tucker and didn’t replace him. Now they could lose Gabe Vincent and Max Strus and add no one. – Edwin.
A: Because, as we all know, all personnel transactions have to be concluded the third week of June? In other words, exhale. Yes, the move is an upgrade for Boston, but also at the cost of Malcolm Brogdon and how he settled their roster last year. And as it turns out, the Heat did not lose P.J. Tucker for nothing last summer, but rather opened the door for Caleb Martin to flourish. As for Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, let’s wait until the start of free agency to see what happens there. Beyond all of that, don’t solely get fixated on Damian Lillard as potential Heat trade target. Even with the draconian rules in the new collective-bargaining agreement, there still are ample trade opportunities this summer for the Heat. Not everything has to happen around the draft, even as plenty does.
Q: Ira, if you had to guess, do the Heat use their first-round pick Thursday? – Michael.
A: First, thank you for the phrasing, which makes the exercise far simpler. If you are asking whether the Heat announce a pick at Thursday’s NBA Draft with their No. 18 selection, there is a reasonable chance. But that is a factor of it being possible the Heat draft for another team, with a trade either to be announced later in the draft or after July 1, when the league moves to its 2023-24 cap calendar. Now, if you are asking whether the Heat retain their pick through the process, that becomes more complex. If the Heat make a deal that requires first-round capital, then this would be the year to move on from the selection for multiple reasons. First, it is a mid-tier pick, at No. 18, so it’s not as if elite talent would be squandered. Further, the Heat at the moment have a reasonable developmental pipeline when considering 2023 first-round pick Nikola Jovic and intriguing 2022-23 two-way players Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson. And there still is the team’s tie (although not contractual) to Jamaree Bouyea from the Heat’s G League affiliate. But the reality is that most teams that seek multiple first-round picks do so as future collateral. So once a pick is exercised, no matter the draft slot, it loses its value when it comes to future packaging (sort of like a new car losing value as soon as you drive it off the lot). Bottom line: There is a reasonable chance that all might not be as it appears for the Heat on Thursday night.
Q: Hey Ira, the Heat have done well in the draft with low lottery picks: Caron Butler and Bam Adebayo as the standouts. Why not trade up and develop a blue-chip prospect for a change? – Beau.
A: And you left out Tyler Herro, as well (as well as Justise Winslow). But the reality is that if you have built a team around a player who turns 34 in September, then you’re not exactly looking to add youth alongside Jimmy Butler. In fact, one would think Jimmy would cringe if that were the Heat approach. This is a win-now team that just almost won it all this month. So trading up would appear less likely for this Heat team at this moment.
