ASK IRA: Would Lauri Markkanen be among most optimal offseason outcomes for Heat?
Q: Negotiate with Dwyane Wade and trade Jimmy Butler, his close friend, to the Jazz, and bring Lauri Markkanen to Miami. Lauri is younger at 27, has similar points per game, higher percentage from 3, costs less than Butler. So Jimmy will go to the West and will play against Miami only a couple times per season. There will be no need to give up Miami’s young core, and don’t offer any draft picks.– Leonora.
A: The intrigue with Lauri Markkanen is playing him alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as a stretch four, not playing him in place of Jimmy Butler. You still need an attacking presence in the frontcourt, as well as a defensive wing with size. Even if the Jazz were willing to take on Jimmy (and don’t overstate Dwyane Wade’s ownership stake in that regard), he hardly fits their timeline, as a player who turns 35 before the start of next season. In addition, Jimmy’s desire for an extension also likely would keep Utah from such a move. Plus, with Lauri to enter the final year of a contract, you would be looking at a significant salary increase for him in 2025 while also paying Bam and others. Now, a Markkanen trade for Tyler Herro could have its merits, but Utah seems lukewarm in that regard (although sweeteners of young Heat players might change that thinking). Lauri could fit the Heat, but it also comes down to where the Heat think Nikola Jovic is headed and if he would prove to be the more cost-effective option as a stretch four.
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Q: If Pat Riley decides to give both Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler maximum extensions as soon as possible, which of the following players do the Heat trade to get some salary-cap relief: Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro or Terry Rozier? – John, Pembroke Pines.
A: The more immediate impact would come with Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith, with the Heat having to make those decisions at the start of free agency. Remember, an Adebayo or Butler extension would not kick in until down the road. For now, there is the concern of the 2024-25 payroll, and whether there is enough wiggle room in free agency to make it work with Caleb or Haywood.
Q: Enjoyed the tributes to Jerry West. He seemed like someone who put the game first. – Ina.
A: He did. And that was what made conversions with Jerry West so refreshing, that it was about basketball and only basketball, pushing all the other nonsense aside. He kept the game the main thing, with it among the reasons he and Pat Riley came off at times as kindred spirits.
