Here’s why the Spurs bear monitoring if Heat pursues a move. And a Robinson record

A six-pack of Heat notes on a Thursday:

▪ When ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins suggested this week that the struggling San Antonio Spurs should consider trading LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan, the Heat immediately came to mind, not only because Pat Riley said this week that he’s open to making a move if it’s the right one, but also because Riley has long admired both players and, most importantly, because neither has a contract that extends beyond the key summer of 2021.

Serious Heat fans will recall Riley taking Aldridge to dinner on July 2, 2015, trying to persuade him to take a one-year deal to stay in Portland and then sign with Miami in 2016, when the Heat had cap space. (Aldridge instead took a four-year, $80 million deal with the Spurs.)

Riley “told me, ‘You’re a good player, but you can be great,’ ” Aldridge told Yahoo. “I’ve had good seasons on my own, but to win, you’ve got to have other big-time guys with you. When you have other guys who are willing to take that sacrifice with you — maybe you all go from averaging 23-24 points to 18-19 points — and you can all do it together.”

Meanwhile, I was told at the time, by a very close DeRozan associate, that the Heat pursued DeRozan early in free agency in 2016 — as Miami also was trying to get a commitment from Hassan Whiteside — but DeRozan opted to stay in Toronto with a five-year, $139 million deal.

There’s no indication that the Spurs are shopping either player, even with San Antonio off to a 5-10 start and in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.

But if they do, the Heat assuredly would due diligence on both for two reasons: 1) Both remain highly productive and 2) Neither has a contract that runs beyond the summer of 2021, which is critical because Miami wants to preserve max cap space that summer for a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo or, secondarily, a few other targets including Victor Oladipo.

Aldridge would seemingly be more attractive because he’s a power-rotation player; the Heat already has significant quality and depth among wings.

The question, of course, becomes what Miami would need to give up. With Miami operating barely below a hard cap, any trade made this year would require the Heat to send away salary at least equal to — or more than — either player’s 2019-20 salary, which is $27.7 million for DeRozan and $26 million for Aldridge.

There are ways to get there, including a package with Justise Winslow ($13 million), Dion Waiters ($12.1 million) and Kelly Olynyk ($12.6 million) or Meyers Leonard ($11.3 million). A package of Winslow, Olynyk and Derrick Jones ($1.6 million) wouldn’t be enough for Aldridge or DeRozan from a cap standpoint. (Even though those three players earn more than Aldridge, Miami would need to fill two roster spots in a 3-for-1 trade.)

Spurs coach Greg Popovich presumably wouldn’t want to deal with the Waiters circus unless he was merely a salary throw-in around an attractive package.

Winslow and James Johnson ($15.4 million) would work straight up for Aldridge and come very close on DeRozan, but likely wouldn’t be enticing enough for the Spurs.

Goran Dragic ($19.2 million) and Winslow would work, but not sure why the Spurs would do that, unless they love Winslow and want Dragic’s expiring contract.

And the Heat isn’t permitted to trade any future first-round draft pick, though its 2020 first-rounder could be dealt on draft night.

Miami could make this more attractive by including one of the kids (such as Kendrick Nunn), but there’s little incentive to do that at this point. (Perhaps that changes.) And it’s dubious if a package built around Winslow would entice the Spurs.

Aldridge, 34, is owed $26 million this season and $24 million next season. He’s still a high-end scorer (17.9 points per game) but his rebounding has dropped, from 9.2 to 6.9 per game. And though the Spurs are playing him at center, he does some of his best defensive work on the perimeter — where Bam Adebayo ranks among the best in the league.

So an Aldridge/Adebayo combo, from a defensive standpoint, would not be quite as ideal as Adebayo with a natural center. But that shouldn’t deter Miami from considering a deal.

DeRozan, 30, remains one of the NBA’s elite mid-range shooters; he’s averaging 21.7 points on 52.5 percent shooting. But he has never been much of a three-point shooter — 28.2 percent in his career, including 7 for 45 last year and 0 for 4 this season. He gives effort defensively, but is hardly an elite defender.

He has a player option after this season. If he doesn’t exercise it, he would make $27.7 million in the final year of his deal next season.

If the Heat hypothetically acquired either, Miami could renounce either one in the summer of 2021, thus removing their cap hold and freeing up the space to sign Antetokounmpo, Olapido, Gordon Hayward or whatever other player it can lure.

Should the Heat explore either Aldridge or DeRozan if either becomes available? Absolutely, because it doesn’t jeopardize 2021 cap space.

But aggressively pursue either? That’s a different matter, and I want to see how this team plays Saturday and Dec. 18 in Philadelphia, Dec. 3 in Toronto and Dec. 4 in Boston before determining if there’s a need to do something that significant.

If the Spurs make either available, the question ultimately becomes are you better equipped to win this year (and next year, in Aldridge’s case) with that Spurs player instead of what you would need to give up in a trade. (And again, I’m not sure Miami would be willing to give up enough appealing pieces to entice San Antonio.)

And this must also be considered: Would the Heat prefer to hold onto trade assets, such as Winslow, as a chip for a younger, more appealing potential 2021 free agent?

But don’t discount either Spur as a Heat option should San Antonio decide to break up its team, because there has long been Heat admiration for Aldridge and DeRozan.

“It hasn’t worked out,” ESPN’s Tracy McGrady said of the Aldridge/DeRozan-led Spurs. “They haven’t played to an elite level.”

▪ As cap expert Albert Nahmad noted, the Heat will have the room under the hard cap to convert Chris Silva’s two-way deal to a standard contract as early as Jan. 14. And Silva has enough two-way days available to play in every Heat game before then.

▪ Per the Heat, Duncan Robinson’s 21 points in 5:11 of second-quarter action Wednesday were the most by an NBA player in a quarter in that few minutes in at least 20 years.

▪ That Heat starting group of Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Robinson and Nunn has now outscored teams by 45 points (fifth-best plus-minus of any NBA lineup) in 99 minutes on the court together this year while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 40.3 percent on threes.

Coach Erik Spoelstra likely will continue to ride with this lineup as long as it’s playing well, even when Justise Winslow returns.

Winslow (concussion protocol) did not accompany the team for its road trip to Chicago and Philadelphia.

▪ The Heat’s 15.2 point average margin of victory (in wins) leads the league. And Miami’s 1,458 points are its most ever in 13 games.

“The Heat is playing great,” TNT’s Charles Barkley said.

▪ ESPN’s Perkins, speaking about the Hassan Whiteside trade on The Jump: “Pat Riley fooled [the Portland Trail Blazers] and sold them a used Buick that needed a new transmission.”

Here’s my Thursday Dolphins six-pack.

Here’s my Thursday Hurricanes six-pack.