ASK IRA: Did Spoelstra offer a hint about the Heat’s next shooting star?
Q: Interesting take from Erik Spoelstra about Cole Swider being a shooter with size. Hide him in the Heat’s zone defense and you’ve got yourself a player. – Andy.
A: Of Erik Spoelstra’s Wednesday breakdowns of the team’s offseason roster additions, his analysis of Cole Swider was particularly interesting in the way he noted Cole’s 6-foot-9 build. Whether Duncan Robinson’s height or Max Strus’ bulk, Spoelstra has shown an openness to shooters beyond undersized launchers (although I’m sure he would be willing to make an exception with Damian Lillard). Unlike the case of teams filling out camp rosters with Exhibit 10 contracts merely to have exhibition fodder to toss into the mix, Swider could wind up under contract beyond the preseason. Again, the Swider signing continues to come off as insurance in case Tyler Herro and/or Robinson are dealt in a potential Lillard trade.
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Q: Hi, Ira. Which trade will you take: Joel Embiid for Bam Adebayo, or Damian Lillard for Tyler Herro? – Masoud, Tucson, Ariz.
A: Damian Lillard for Tyler Herro, because that’s actually a real thing. Any speculation regarding the 76ers and Joel Embiid stands with little to no context until we first see what happens with James Harden. We know, in the right deal, the Heat would consider putting Tyler into play. Not quite as sure regarding Bam Adebayo.
Q: I’m hoping the Miami Heat front office stays disciplined in their pursuit of Damian Lillard by not offering all of our youth. What do you think is too much for Lillard and which one of our young players do you think the Heat should keep out of the deal for Lillard and why? – Carlos, West Park.
A: I’m responding to this one from the overwhelming volume of questions regarding the parameters of a potential Damian Lillard deal for this reason: At what point do you allow a plus-one to stand in the way of a deal? For Shaquille O’Neal, the Heat seemingly relented with Caron Butler. For Goran Dragic, it was a second first-rounder. For Jimmy Butler, it was a first-rounder in order to offload the salary of Hassan Whiteside. What you don’t want to do is look back on a deal not made because of an ancillary piece. So how much is too much? It’s not a specific piece, it’s the entirety of the package.
