Is Damian Lillard waiting game limiting Miami Heat?
Q: This Damian Lillard watch and wait is a real source of frustration. At what point do the Heat decide to move on? Is there a drop dead date after which time the Heat would find themselves with no opportunities left to improve this team? – Bob, Davie.
A: Frustrating for who? Would you rather the Heat rush and overspend, or sweat the Trail Blazers, at a juncture where it does not appear there is another tangible outside offer on the table? In other words, would you kick in Caleb Martin or an additional first-round pick into a trade just to have it done the second week of July? The NBA does not play another meaningful game for nearly four months. Training camp does not start until October. Right now, save perhaps for Tyler Herro, no Heat player is sweating out the process. By contrast, if you are one of the Blazers’ emerging young players, it might be nice to know the direction of your franchise, and who you might be playing alongside. Scoot Henerson is the one trying to gain his NBA bearings; the Heat already have their footing. So you wait, knowing you’ve already landed Josh Richardson and Thomas Bryant, and that you still have Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Besides, it’s not as if there is an alternate move the Heat can make when it comes to a player with the pedigree of Damian Lillard.
Q: I don’t understand the mindset that the Damian Lillard trade has to get done, no matter what. As if walking away from a bad deal would be some kind of failure. If Lillard is such an irresistible force, where, at age 33, are his Finals appearances? – Ray, Deerfield Beach.
A: That precisely is the reason Damian Lillard is looking to move on, because of what Blazers management has put around him. Thus, no Finals appearances. That would be akin to calling Joel Embiid a failure because he hasn’t even made it to a conference finals. As for your previous point, I agree that you don’t make a bad deal, which is part of the reason that there has yet to be a deal. In July, the Blazers can ask for the world. The question is what happens after they recognize they won’t be getting the world? But there are certain players you go above and beyond to land, particularly if he fits a specific need. Damian would fit that need.
Q: Hi, Ira, can you explain why Gabe Vincent got a three-year, $33 million deal and Max Strus a four-year, $63 million deal? Is Strus that much better than Vincent? They play different positions. but I would have Vincent than Strus on my team. Better defender, can also hit 3-pointers, and is a good point guard. I don’t get the money difference. Thanks. – Sylvio, Boca Raton.
A: Because Cleveland had the money to spend and didn’t need a point guard, with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell in place. The Lakers had their limits, so they offered Gabe Vicent within their limits, with it looking like Gabe will be cast as a reserve. Sometimes it can be more about a team’s need than the value of a player. Then again, the way NBA salaries are going, Gabe might be better served than Max Strus, by being able to get back into free agency sooner. The fact that both are making over 10 figures a season is a remarkable success story for each.
