ASK IRA: Is the idea of Zach Edey to the Heat at No. 15 wishful thinking?
Q: Please let the Heat draft Zach Edey. A three-man power rotation of Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic and Zach (no offense, Kevin Love) could be a game changer. Heck, Niko could spot at small forward, as well, for a really long lineup. And with whomever is left after to shake out with combos, wings and guards, you’d have guys playing their natural positions rather than playing up. – David, St. Louis.
A: Which is all well and good, but I’m still not sold that a player with the pedigree of Zach Edey, even with his questions about his NBA fit, slides to the Heat’s slot at No. 15. The Heat certainly had luck with a slider in Caron Butler in 2002 at No. 10. But there also was the slide of Justise Winslow to No. 10 in 2015. And, yes, playing big, bigger and biggest could potentially see Nikola Jovic with a potential turn at small forward, although that might be playing with fire defensively.
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Q: Even the great Heat franchise will have to go through three, four, fives years of bad again. Just like the Spurs, considered the best run organization in the NBA for decades, did. – Mark.
A: But, with two of the Heat’s next four first-round picks potentially going out without lottery protection, the Heat cannot afford such an approach. The Spurs the last five seasons have gone 32-39, 33-39, 34-48, 22-60 and again 22-60 this past season. If the Heat do that, the Thunder and Hornets will be salivating over elite lottery picks being forwarded from the Heat. The Heat simply cannot afford to fall to that level, because there would be no accompanying lottery reward, as there has been for the Spurs.
Q: Ira, if you got to keep one, would it be Thomas Bryant of Orlando Robinson? – Franklin.
A: But neither I nor the Heat have that choice. Thomas Bryant has a player option, so that decision will be up to him. By contrast, the Heat have a July 15 deadline to either guarantee Orlando Robinson’s contract for next season or waive him. So I would suspect that if Thomas stays, then the Heat decline to guarantee Orlando. Kevin Love’s player option could also factor into such an equation, should he (unexpectedly) opt to move on to another team.
