Mailbag: Is it time for Heat to turn attention to trade options not named Kevin Durant?

The Miami Herald Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions this offseason.

If you were not able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via Twitter (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them in to achiang@miamiherald.com.

Eduardo: If the KD and Donovan Mitchell trades are a no-go, how about trading one first-round pick and Kyle Lowry for Kyrie Irving and another first-round pick and Duncan Robinson for John Collins to have a starting lineup of Kyrie, Herro, Jimmy, Collins and Bam. That’s good enough to win now and without giving up on the future.

Anthony Chiang: First and probably most importantly, I’m not sure that’s enough to get Kyrie Irving or John Collins. Considering the Jazz just got a handful of first-round picks in return for center Rudy Gobert, one first-rounder probably won’t be enough to get those deals done unless the Heat includes another trade chip like Tyler Herro. And it’s hard to envision Miami offering Herro as part of either of those trades.

Second, this scenario kind of does represent giving up on the future because the Heat would be dealing away most of its draft capital, which is what’s needed these days to trade for superstars. If Durant is still available in September or October, Miami would be out of the game because it wouldn’t have draft picks to deal.

As it stands right now, the Heat is currently eligible to include only two unprotected first-round picks in a trade offer. But Miami could unlock a third unprotected first-round pick to trade if it can negotiate to lift the lottery protections on the 2025 first-round selection it owes the Oklahoma City Thunder.

So dealing away a first-round pick for Irving and another first-round pick for Collins would leave the Heat pretty much empty-handed in terms of tradeable picks.

The bottom line: The Heat is in the trade conversation for Durant and it wants to remain in the conversation when other superstars become available on the trade market. To do that, Miami needs to keep its assets and maintain its flexibility until the time is right to pounce.

Carlos: I strongly hope that Riley keeps this group together to play and fight minus P.J. Tucker but with Omer Yurtseven in the middle. I hope the possibility becomes reality and we see Omer and Bam on the floor together. Yurtseven proved himself in those 12 games. And with Bam at the power forward position, it could become a powerful big combo on the floor. Bam has to improve his three-point shot but there are others to stretch the floor. I would never give up Herro, a young superstar to be, for a 34-year-old [Kevin Durant] who will be long gone when Herro will be making noise! Hope the team stays together.

Anthony: Carlos, you seem to be in the minority. But there is something to be said about bringing back most of a roster that finished just one win (and one shot) short of representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

As long as the Heat has a core of Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, it’s going to be battling for a top-four seed in the East.

P.S. I’m not sure how many minutes Adebayo and Omer Yurtseven will play together this upcoming season. They played just 18 minutes together last season. But coach Erik Spoelstra could be forced to play them together more often next season because of the Heat’s lack of functional depth at power forward after losing P.J. Tucker in free agency.