While Heat guard Avery Bradley is frustrated to be missing more time after dealing with a positive COVID-19 test and a knee contusion earlier in the season, he said this week that he’s relieved his calf strain – which will sideline him for about three or four weeks – wasn’t a more serious injury.
“I could just feel the pop, which really scared me because first thing you’re thinking with a non-contact pop is my Achilles,” Bradley said, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “So I was nervous and really frustrated. Now I’m just happy that it wasn’t anything severe and I’ll be able to rehab it.”
If the Heat play it safe with Bradley’s recovery, he likely won’t get back on the court until sometime after the All-Star break, which will run from March 5-10. However, the veteran guard hopes to beat that timeline and “get some games under my belt before the break,” as Chiang relays.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Although Bradley won’t be back anytime soon, fellow guard Goran Dragic (left ankle sprain) could rejoin the Heat as some point during their seven-game, 13-day road trip, which begins on Thursday night in Houston, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- Within that same Herald story, Tyler Herro says he has had no problem readjusting to a bench role after opening the season as a starter. “I played the whole (2019/20) year off the bench,” he said. “Doing whatever works for the team (is most important). Everyone hates losing. Moving to the bench wasn’t hard for me. I’ll do whatever this team needs me to do to win.”
- In a separate story for The Miami Herald, Jackson explores how the Heat could upgrade their roster in the coming months and how they could take advantage of their projected cap room in the offseason.
- In a mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains why the Heat didn’t try to beat the Knicks to the punch to acquire Derrick Rose and notes that Kendrick Nunn is unlikely to retain the starting point guard role once Dragic and Bradley are ready to go. It’s worth noting that if Nunn starts three more games this season, he’d meet the “starter criteria,” bumping the value of his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent from $2.1MM to $4.7MM.
Heat will bounce back, and make the playoffs. They could make some TD moves as well, but I don’t see too much out there right now. Indy, (depends on Levert) Charlotte, Hawks, Knicks battle for #8 in the east.
Kind of ironic that Bradley got COVID after having sat out the re-start to avoid getting COVID.
He was one of the proponents of cancelling the rest of the season in lieu of the bubble.. once that didn’t happen, he opted out for safety reasons.. then signed a new contract with heat at pretty close to his player option
Wasnt Bradley opting out more to do with BLM than Covid?
I know he had Covid concerns but I thought it was more of a social justice thing at the time……
Its Imo that Lebron made it known to Howard, Bradley, and management he didnt want either player back after going against his social justice reform platform in the bubble…. well he prolly didnt talk to Howard (just management there) but Avery had a player option so I bet he channeled his message somehow to fall right into Averys lap that he wasnt wanted in LA – Lebron is a GM who just happens to lace um up as well in-between… He is not above feuds and is still a little sensitive even after all these years. Howard on the min for us this year woulda been the missing link right now even tho Ive never been a Howard fan
Bradley has a son who is immune compromised. It’s why he sat out bubble. And now he’s away from his family. He has real reasons. Heat need to get healthy as a team. Plus fact this yr they are not sneaking up on teams. No one feels sorry for them. To me what they need most is a rim protector. McGee or Whiteside would be perfect. I think they are waiting for TD. And see who gets bought out. Especially Drummond. Don’t give up on Heat yet. They could cause problems in playoffs. By being a low seed.
I would think Drummond can see the benefit of playing alongside a guy like Bam, having shooters, & young legs all around him.
If his agent is savvy he should be pushing for this pairing, or DAL. The writing is on the wall in CLE for his fit long-term.
Riley is also savvy. He will pay, but not much.
Lakers in same position w Rim protector
Buy out markets extremely overated and risky to put all your eggs in, your pretty much buying a lottery ticket a month in advance and waiting in hope
They will enter trade market, they got great expiring’s of all shapes and sizes across the board to deal from with picks attached
I wonder if the Lakers always sorta hoped Mcgee would find his way back to them? He fits with what they do, and they already have Gasol who is a pretty decent defender.
Gasol/Drummond isn’t as appealing as McGee/Gasol in my opinion. For the Lakeshow anyway.
No I just think they fouled up and thought Gasol was the answer tbh….they traded Mcgee to shore up a little extra money for Marc….
Only mis-step Rob made in the last 2 years really
Sadly Howard coulda been the answer on the min….Just my thought based on nothing but Lebron vetoed him behind closed doors ….. Its a sticky sitch moving forward, they got a buncha ways they can go but everyone knows it aint Gasol
Well that misstep and giving Mathews the veteran bi annual exception hard capped them.. they could’ve easily resigned boogie.. he ended up with a non guaranteed veterans minimum with rockets.. boogie is struggling below his usual standards but to be expected being out so long. Still averaging 9 pts and 7 rebounds in 19 mins. Gasol averaging 4 pts and 3 rebounds in 19 mins and offering zero rim protection
Lakers can’t reacquire mcgee thru trade or buyout unless A team that trades for him buys him out .. CBA doesn’t allow lakers to reacquire him from Cavs.
Check Mcgee out. Its allowed. No rule in effect stopping Mcgee from heading to the Lakers.
Per eric pincus, Lakers cannot sign JaVale McGee if he’s cut by the Cavs – they cannot trade with the Cavs for McGee. If McGee is traded to another team – then if cut, they can sign him
Thats accurate, you are correct. Normally it can’t happen at all to the same team, but he was traded last season under this seasons option.
Heat need half defensively at the 4/on the wing, and could use a post defender that can rebound for 8-14 minutes per game in certain matchups. The help at those 4/3 spots is more important than the big, if they would be willing to finally use UD in those matchups, but they wont for whatever reason.