The Miami Heat’s latest free-agency surge has put them in a better spot than they were a week ago, but it does not appear to have changed their chances of landing Kyrie Irving.
Miami added several pieces in free agency, headlined by Klay Thompson, and the move came with more financial breathing room than some expected. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald noted that Thompson’s smaller first-year salary helped the Heat keep options open.
“The Heat on Sunday could celebrate not only the addition of five-time All-Star guard Klay Thompson, but also the fact that the organization emerged from the transaction with more flexibility than some might have expected. Because Thompson agreed to a first year salary of $5.6 million, that left the Heat with the ability to fill both the 14th and 15th roster spots," Miami Herald's Barry Jackson wrote.
That flexibility has kept Miami in the conversation for future moves, including at the trade deadline. Irving has been a name that has surfaced in trade chatter, but Heat reporter Ira Winderman poured cold water on the idea of Dallas sending him to Miami.
“You could make the math work with Portis, Nikola Jovic and Davion Mitchell. But Dallas would do that why?
It would mean taking on three more years of Jovic and one more of Portis, plus having to waive three players. So, yes, there is math that could be argued but common sense, and the lack of remaining Heat draft capital after the Giannis trade, speak otherwise.
Other teams probably could offer more, if so inclined,” Heat reporter Ira Winderman said.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line also addressed why Irving keeps coming up in league-wide trade discussion, even though the Mavericks have pushed back on interest.
“The Mavericks, as we've been writing since mid-June, have consistently swatted away trade interest this offseason in nine-times-All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches.
The primary factor fueling that curiosity, of course, is that fact that Irving is 34 and Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is 19. Not your average age gap between the team's two best players,” Stein wrote.
If Miami could somehow bring Irving together with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the roster would look terrifying on paper. But Winderman’s read is that it is not going to happen, and the Heat seem prepared to live with that reality.
Miami still has a strong roster, and point guard remains the one spot with real uncertainty. The Heat want a deep playoff run, but for now, a deal for Irving does not look like part of the plan.
In Other News...
Luka Doncics New Lakers Role Could Lead To Something Huge
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The question is not whether Doncic can pile up points, but how the Lakers want that volume to look over a full season. Windhorst and MacMahon pointed to his scoring last year, his style of play and the ongoing conversation around his conditioning as the key pieces in that equation, which is why this role change feels like more than just a roster adjustment. If it all clicks, Los Angeles could be looking at a version of Doncic that puts him in the middle of something much bigger than a simple scoring chase. [Read more 🡒]
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One possibility under discussion would send PJ Washington into the mix, a move that would give the Lakers another starting-caliber piece while also putting Luka Doncic back in touch with a familiar former teammate. For a team trying to balance fit, size, and lineup clarity, it is the sort of proposal that makes sense on paper even if plenty has to happen before it becomes real. For now, the Lakers are still hunting for the right frontcourt answer, and the market around them keeps offering reminders that one more move could change the look of the whole group. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler May Fix The Lakers Problem Luka Needs Solved
After locking in Austin Reaves on a four-year, $185 million deal, the Lakers kept working on the roster around Luka Doncic by adding Walker Kessler from the Jazz in a sign-and-trade. It is a clear attempt to sharpen the teams frontcourt after last seasons need for more reliable play at center, with Kessler arriving as the kind of defensive presence Los Angeles has been chasing.
For a team built around Doncics ability to bend defenses, the fit is obvious on paper. Kessler is seen as a potential upgrade in the middle and a cleaner complement to a star who can create offense at a high level, but the real question is how quickly the Lakers can turn a long-standing weakness into something dependable enough to matter when the games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]