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Heat Notes: Herro, Adebayo, Draft Picks, Okpala

June 4th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

After averaging 16.0 PPG and making 37.5% of his three-point attempts during last year’s playoff run as a rookie, Heat guard Tyler Herro didn’t take a major step forward statistically in 2020/21. The 21-year-old recorded 15.1 PPG with a .360 3PT% during the regular season and struggled in the postseason (9.3 PPG, .316 FG%).

However, president of basketball operations Pat Riley said multiple times during his end-of-season presser on Thursday that Herro is still a “core player for the Heat, expressing confidence that the second-year guard will continue to make positive strides going forward, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.

“What happened to him going down the stretch, I actually thought he got better as a player,” Riley said. “If you think about his first year or his first 35 or 40 games, he really was strictly a catch-and-shoot type of player coming off of screens and catching and shooting. The only way that he was ever going to become a complete offensive player is he had to improve his ball-handling with both his right hand and his left hand, and he did. He’s an exceptional ball-handler. Now he can create space and get into gaps and raise on jumpers from almost anywhere.”

Given the Heat’s lack of moveable future draft picks, Herro would be the team’s most appealing trade chip if the front office tried to take a big swing for another impact player this offseason. But Riley’s comments on Thursday suggest Herro remains very much a part of Miami’s “core.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Riley said on Thursday that during last fall’s extension talks with Bam Adebayo, the Heat broached the subject of putting off the big man’s new contract until this year in order to maximize the team’s 2021 cap room. However, Adebayo preferred to sign his extension immediately and the Heat were fine with that, as Jackson relays.
  • Riley hasn’t had any discussions with the Thunder about removing the protections on the 2023 first-round pick Miami owes Oklahoma City, according to Jackson. Making that pick unprotected would allow the Heat to trade their 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, if they so choose, giving them more flexibility in trade talks. However, the Thunder likely won’t do the Heat a favor without receiving compensation — in a similar situation last offseason, the Bucks had to send the Cavaliers a 2025 second-round pick in order to remove the protections on the 2022 first-rounder Milwaukee owed to Cleveland. That allowed the Bucks to free up other future first-rounders for the Jrue Holiday trade.
  • This summer will be a critical one for KZ Okpala, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Okapala was the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, but has yet to develop into a reliable rotation player for Miami and will be entering the final season of his three-year contract. “It’s a blessing that I do have a full offseason with Summer League and all that,” Okpala said. “So I accept my blessing, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”
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Pat Riley Talks Free Agency, 2021 Rookies, Bam, Oladipo, Future

June 3rd, 2021 at 5:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat team president Pat Riley addressed the club’s present and future during his yearly season-ending press conference today, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details.

Following a surprising NBA Finals run within the 2020 restart season’s Orlando “bubble” campus last year, expectations were high for Miami this season. However, many of the team’s key players battled injuries and COVID-19 exposure, and the Heat suffered a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Bucks. The loss of forward Jae Crowder in free agency, plus some compensatory signing missteps, also contributed to a disappointing 2020/21 season.

When asked about how he wants to build around the team’s two best players, wing Jimmy Butler and big man Bam Adebayo, this summer, Riley kept things fairly open-ended.

“We’ll see,” he said. “We are going to have a lot of [cap] room if we want to use it. You can’t continue to defer your room… We like our core.”

Here’s more from the presser:

  • It sounds like Riley fully expects to replicate the success the club has enjoyed in recent seasons when scouring the market for undrafted rookies. The Heat traded away their first-round draft pick for 2021. “We will get a couple good players out of this year’s draft, I’m sure,” Riley said.
  • Riley was questioned about Adebayo potentially rounding out his offensive game by developing three-point range soon. “It doesn’t need to happen quickly,” he said. “[Head coach Erik Spoelstra] likes to use Bam with a stretch five or four. You might have to change. You might have to think about what’s next thing in the NBA to require you to stay with that kind of play. I’ll leave that to Spo and we will talk about it.”
  • New Heat guard Victor Oladipo, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, had an underwhelming tenure with the team, appearing in just four games after being acquired from the Rockets at the trade deadline. He was felled by a quadriceps injury that required season-ending surgery. “When we made the trade, we knew there was a risk,” Riley acknowledged. “He’s like any other free agent on the team who sustained an injury; he will be rehabbing with us until he’s healthy enough to get out of that cast. … We will monitor him, work with him, and then see what happens in August when we sit down to talk to him.”
  • The 76-year-old Riley would not address his long-term outlook with the club as team president beyond the upcoming season. “I’m getting ready for the [draft combine] and then the summer league,” Riley said. “I’m ready to move forward and try to make this team better. For all of our fans out there, it was so great to see the place packed and I’m really disappointed our fans didn’t get to see what the Heat really are like.” Riley is one of the most decorated personalities in NBA history, having won once as a player, once as an assistant coach, five times as a head coach, and three times as an executive.
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Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Achiuwa, Robinson

June 2nd, 2021 at 1:56pm CST by Eli Cohen

Heat star Jimmy Butler is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, it’s likely he will seek a four-year, maximum-salary deal worth $181MM. The 32-year old wing is currently under contract through the 2022/23 season, but a four-year extension would align his contract with star center Bam Adebayo‘s recently-signed max extension, as both would expire following the 2025/26 season. Such an extension would pay Butler $50MM in 2025/26, when he’d be 36 years old.

Following a disappointing first round sweep at the hands of the Bucks, the Heat will be looking to add to their roster this summer. When asked if he would be taking a role in roster decisions, Butler said: “I don’t know. I’ve got to be active… Me myself, Bam, hell probably Tyler (Herro), some other guys, as well — they’re going to ask and we have to be honest. But at the end of the day, that’s not our job either.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • With the Tokyo Olypmics postponed until this summer, several Heat players will have important decisions to make, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Precious Achiuwa and Gabe Vincent are both potential members of the Nigerian national team, while Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo are in the player pool for the U.S. team and Omer Yurtseven is likely to represent Turkey. But with a short training camp this season, the possibility of missing out on yet another summer of training with the Heat represents a major decision, especially for young players such as Achiuwa and Vincent. The choice between Summer League and representing his nation in the Olympics is one Achiuwa isn’t rushing. “Right now,” he says, “I have time on my hands to kind of just weigh my options and see where I go from there.”
  • Not only do the Heat not have a pick in this year’s draft, but they have the fewest tradable future picks of any team in the NBA, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. As a result of trades for players such as Butler, Goran Dragic, and Victor Oladipo, a 2024 second-round pick is the only draft asset they have that’s available to be traded over the next seven drafts.
  • In a Q&A for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why Adebayo and Butler should be considered untouchable in trades, details the fallacy of the “Leastern Conference” idea, and discusses whether adding a three point shot should be the primary focus of Adebayo’s summer.
  • With the 2020/21 season in the rearview mirror, Winderman graded each team member’s performance, as well as sharing his thoughts for their futures in Dade County. In regards to Duncan Robinson‘s impending restricted free agency, Winderman views $15MM per season as a reasonable cutoff point.
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Heat Notes: Olympics, Dedmon, Robinson, Haslem

May 31st, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Nine Heat players spoke to reporters today as part of the team’s end-of-season media availability, and many of those players intend to represent their countries in international play this summer, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald details.

Nigeria, one of the eight countries to have already clinched its spot in the men’s basketball event at the Tokyo Olympics, has talked to Precious Achiuwa about playing this summer, but he has yet to make a final decision. Teammate Gabe Vincent will train with Nigeria and hopes to make the Olympic roster.

Nemanja Bjelica, meanwhile, plans to play for Serbia at the Tokyo Olympics, while Omer Yurtseven – who signed with the Heat at the end of the season – intends to be part of the Turkish team as the club looks to secure an Olympic berth in next month’s qualifying tournament.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Veteran center Dewayne Dedmon said that he’d like to return to the Heat next season, but added, “That’s up to the people upstairs.” While Miami’s front office would probably reciprocate Dedmon’s interest, given how he played down the stretch, he’ll only have Non-Bird rights, limiting the team’s ability to give him much of a raise beyond the veteran’s minimum, as Jackson notes.
  • Asked about his priorities in free agency, Duncan Robinson offered the following response: “First and foremost, a fit, a place I can really feel comfortable. Winning is a priority for me. And also a business and there’s an opportunity to take care of people that I love.” Robinson will be a restricted free agent, so the Heat will have the ability to match if he signs an offer sheet.
  • Udonis Haslem remains undecided on whether he’ll retire or return to the Heat for 2021/22, but he made it clear he doesn’t take his spot on the roster for granted, as Jackson writes. “I don’t have an offseason. I’m 40 years old. If I have an offseason, I might as well retire,” Haslem said. “Straight from the season to back in the gym. I’m calling Bam (Adebayo); his (butt) is coming with me. I’m calling Precious. He’s coming with me.” Haslem added that he doesn’t have interest in coaching, but suggested he wants to eventually own part of a franchise, according to Jackson.
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Heat Notes: Leonard, Butler, Lowry, Free Agency

May 30th, 2021 at 6:00pm CST by JD Shaw

Jimmy Butler‘s ties to Kawhi Leonard could impact what the two-time NBA champion decides to do if he reaches free agency this summer, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates.

Leonard holds a $36MM player option for the 2021/22 season and could choose to sign elsewhere — especially if the Clippers lose in the first round. Los Angeles is currently trailing Dallas 2-1 in its series.

Miami lost all four games to Milwaukee in its own series, becoming the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs despite reaching the Finals last fall. If Leonard chooses to explore his options, the Heat could offer a compelling role alongside Butler, Bam Adebayo and others — though the team would need to create sufficient salary-cap space for him first.

There’s more out of Miami tonight:

  • The Heat could also pursue Kyle Lowry in free agency, though that situation is more complicated than some may realize, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explores. The team expressed interest in Lowry prior to the trade deadline, ultimately opting not to make a deal.
  • Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether a playoff lineup change is a sign of things to come in free agency. Miami opted to start Goran Dragic in place of Kendrick Nunn during the team’s final two games of the series against Milwaukee, though Dragic mostly struggled. Nunn will enter restricted free agency this offseason, while Dragic has a $19.4MM team option for 2021/22.
  • Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald looks back on the Heat’s underwhelming season and what comes next. Miami dealt with a shortened offseason, COVID issues and multiple injuries throughout the campaign, complicating the club’s season from the start.
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Heat Notes: Roster Decisions, Butler, Free Agency

May 29th, 2021 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

After taking steps to maximize roster flexibility over the past 18 months, the Heat will likely need it as they try to rebuild in the wake of a first-round sweep, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider account).  Jimmy Butler ($36MM), Bam Adebayo ($28.1MM), Tyler Herro ($4MM), Precious Achiuwa ($2.7MM), and KZ Okpala ($1.8MM) are the only players with guaranteed contracts for next season, but Miami can choose to operate above or below the cap depending on its other roster decisions.

The Heat have been prioritizing cap space for this summer, originally hoping to take advantage of a stellar free agent class that included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George and LeBron James. That route has lost some luster with those players all agreeing to extensions, but Miami’s cap room will still be an asset.

The team could have about $21MM available, Marks notes, or $27MM if it doesn’t make qualifying offers to Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson, which would cut their cap holds from $4.7MM to $1.7MM each. However, Marks adds that the Heat would only consider that route if they’re assured that both players will re-sign after their cap space is exhausted. Miami would also have to decline team options on Andre Iguodala and Goran Dragic by the Aug. 1 deadline and renounce its rights to Trevor Ariza and Victor Oladipo.

The other choice is operating over the cap, which means keeping or trading some of the veterans, but it also risks cutting into potential cap space for 2022/23.

There’s more from Miami:

  • The Heat are coming up on an important decision regarding Butler, who will be eligible for a four-year extension worth $181MM, Marks adds in the same story. Butler was outstanding during the regular season, but wasn’t as effective in the playoffs, and Miami will have to determine whether he’s worth that investment with his 32nd birthday coming up in September.
  • There may not be a realistic Plan B for team president Pat Riley now that Antetokounmpo has committed to Milwaukee, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The two-time MVP dismantled Miami in the playoffs and showed why he would have been such a great addition. Winderman suggests the alternative is to hope Kawhi Leonard becomes available if the Clippers lose in the first round or to possibly make another run at Kyle Lowry.
  • Butler said after today’s game that he will consider playing in the Olympics, but isn’t close to making a decision, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Butler won a gold medal at the 2016 Games.
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Heat Notes: Portis, Riley, Free Agents, Butler

May 28th, 2021 at 12:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

A decision not to pursue Bucks big man Bobby Portis in free agency may have led to the Heat’s playoff downfall, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson traces several missteps for Miami, which is in a 3-0 hole against Milwaukee, but the most significant might be passing on Portis, who is averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the playoff series.

A source tells Jackson that the Heat showed “mild interest” in Portis during free agency, but decided against making an offer. Portis would have considered Miami, Jackson adds, but he wound up signing with Milwaukee for $3.6MM and having a career-best season. The Heat signed Maurice Harkless for the same money, but he played just 11 games and scored 15 total points before being traded to the Kings in March.

Portis figures to be back on the market this summer as an unrestricted free agent and should get much better offers this time.

There’s more from Miami:

  • The Heat made overtures to Marcus Morris in free agency before he re-signed with the Clippers for $64MM over four years, Jackson adds. They lost two of their own free agents when they refused to come close to the three-year, $30MM deal that Jae Crowder got from the Suns or the two-year, $19MM contract that the Trail Blazers gave Derrick Jones Jr. Instead, Miami split its $9.6MM mid-level exception between Harkless and Avery Bradley, neither of whom is still with the team. The Heat also drafted Precious Achiuwa and gave a two-year, $19MM deal to Meyers Leonard, but Achuiwa dropped out of the rotation when Dewayne Dedmon was added and Leonard played just three games before a season-ending shoulder injury.
  • Team president Pat Riley has a history of making major changes after playoff embarrassments, and Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel suggests that another one may be coming. Winderman notes that the current roster was built for an immediate overhaul, with team options on Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala for next season and Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, Victor Oladipo, Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Udonis Haslem and Dedmon all potentially headed for free agency.
  • Jimmy Butler believes the Heat need to fall back on toughness to salvage the series, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. “(I’m most surprised by) just how fast it got out of hand,” Butler said after Thursday’s loss. “We’ve got to pick who we want to be — be physical, make things much tougher. Then you’ve got to live with the result.”
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Heat Notes: Deadline Moves, Adebayo, Dedmon

May 27th, 2021 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams
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Could The Heat Try To Sign Lowry This Summer?

May 25th, 2021 at 7:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if the Heat will make another run at current Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, a free agent this summer. Miami considered trading for the former six-time All-Star at this season’s deadline, but instead opted to add guard Victor Oladipo, who only appeared in four games for the club before requiring another surgery on the right quadriceps tendon he initially ruptured in 2019. Winderman notes that Heat star swingman Jimmy Butler and Lowry are close, as Lowry is the godfather to Butler’s daughter. Winderman adds that adding a high-level veteran point guard to upgrade the position could help the Heat convince Butler to ink a contract extension, which he will be eligible to do this summer.
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Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference First-Round Series

May 25th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As we discussed on Monday, the postseason is off to a fascinating start in the Western Conference, where the underdogs in all four series won Game One. The results in the Eastern Conference haven’t been quite as surprising so far.

The No. 1 Sixers and No. 2 Nets took care of the Wizards and Celtics in their respective Game Ones. Although Washington and Boston were competitive, the star power of the higher seeds may be too much for the two play-in teams — Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris racked up a combined 67 points for Philadelphia on Sunday, while Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden scored 82 of Brooklyn’s 104 points on Saturday.

Meanwhile, after upsetting the Bucks in last year’s second round, the Heat have dug themselves a 2-0 hole in this year’s first round, and Monday’s loss was especially one-sided. Milwaukee poured in 46 first-quarter points and 22 total three-pointers en route to a blowout victory.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, the most exciting Eastern Conference series in the first round should be the one featuring two teams that have spent the last few years out of the postseason. The Knicks and Hawks went down to the wire on Sunday, with Trae Young clinching an Atlanta victory by hitting a floater with less than a second left in regulation.

The Celtics, Wizards, and Heat still have plenty of time to turn things around, but oddsmakers view it as a long shot that any of these three clubs will pull off a comeback. BetOnline.ag currently lists the Nets as -2750 favorites, meaning that if you want to bet on Brooklyn to win the series, you’d have to risk $2,750 in order to win just $100. The Sixers (-1800) and Bucks (-1000) are also heavy favorites.

The Hawks’ Game 1 upset has made them the frontrunners over the Knicks, but Vegas still views that series as practically a toss-up compared to the other three — Atlanta is only a -255 favorite.

We want to know what you think. Will the East’s top three seeds hold on and win their respective series with relative ease, or will the Celtics, Wizards, and/or Heat come alive and make things interesting? Do you expect a long series between the Hawks and Knicks? Who are you picking to win that one?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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