It is unrealistic to expect that Heat add either Kyrie Irving or Jrue’s holiday in order to improve the situation of the point guards, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
In Irving’s case, his $39.4 million salary this season will be a major obstacle. If the Mavericks decide to trade Irving at some point, the Heat would likely have to send three players in return, and Dallas already has 15 guaranteed contracts. Also, the Mavericks would likely want at least one first-round pick in such a deal, and the Heat don’t have any first-round picks to trade.
In Holliday’s case, it’s highly unlikely that the Trail Blazers will decide to buy him out. He is due $34.2 million this season and has a $37.2 million option for 2027/28. A trade for Rest would require Portland to shed several salaries, and they would be difficult to replace due to Miami’s hard-cap status. Portland also needs draft capital, which the Heat don’t have.
Here’s more on Heat:
- Andrew Wiggins excited about the reunion Klay ThompsonJackson relay. Wiggins commented on a social media video posted by the club. “He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve played with” Wiggins said. “Having him in the team will be amazing. He brings a championship mentality to the team. This is a year where we can do something special and he’s someone who can be a big part of that.”
- The team has really limited lineup flexibility, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes. They have enough cap space to add a 15th player to the veteran’s minimum deal, though it might be smart for them to leave that spot open to add a player on the buyout market or facilitate a trade down the road. They may also have a higher salary if they do not fully guarantee Myron Gardnercontract in January. Gardner has $500,000 guaranteed on a salary of $2,584,539.
- At the right price, it would be worth getting the front office to sign Pele Larson to expand Winderman opinion in his latest mailbag. Nikola JovichThe four-year, $62.4 million extension kicks in this season, and a reader pointed out that this could have been a mistake by the front office given Jovic’s underachievement last season. However, Winderman notes that the price of quality stocks continues to rise, plus Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr could become a free agent next summer, giving team management even more incentive to sign Larsson to a long-term deal.
