Heat Rumors: Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, More
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by Locked On Heat and Locked on NBA co-host Wes Goldberg to discuss all things Miami Heat, who currently find themselves fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference standings.
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Erik Spoelstra’s Legacy In NBA & In Miami [2:32]
Taking over as head coach of the Miami Heat ahead of the start of the 2008-09 NBA season, Erik Spoelstra is now the second-longest tenured head coach in the entire league behind only San Antonio Spurs head coach and arguably the greatest NBA coach of all-time, Gregg Popovich.
The job Spoelstra has done with this franchise year-in and year-out is quite remarkable and even though they have found their backs up against the wall several times through the years, Spoelstra always seems to have the answers for his team.
Winning two titles with Miami during their “Big 3 era and most recently reaching the NBA Finals in 2020, plus coming within a game of getting back to the NBA Finals last season, Erik Spoelstra has certainly made a case for himself being one of the best coaches in league history. Brett and Wes discussed Spoelstra’s time in Miami and whether or not his legacy is cemented regardless of what happens the rest of the way. [3:33]
Siegel: I know you haven’t always covered the Heat specifically, but I do want to hear your thoughts on the Heat’s eye for talent and the job Spoelstra has done with this team leading them through different eras because I’ll tell you what, I truly believe he is one of the greatest coaches of all time when you look at his understanding of the game and ability to get the most out of his guys whether they are the top option or the last option on the roster.
Goldberg: You are preaching to the choir here. I think Erik Spoelstra is severely underrated. The fact that he has not won a legitimate Coach of the Year award is a complete travesty. I think when you talk about the story of Erik Spoelstra, the first thing you have to mention is how he came up through the ranks starting in a video coordinator position. He used to work in the dungeon in Miami and break down video. Next thing you know, he’s on the bench next to Pat Riley and then he replaces Pat Riley. The thing that gets lost in there, that in between being in the video room as the video coordinator and being the lead assistant next to Riley is the fact that he was the player development coach at one point and his very first protege was Dwyane Wade. That kind of just gets lost in the Erik Spoelstra story and this is a guy that has always had a strength on the player development side of things.
Siegel: Spoelstra has drawn a lot of criticism through the years, but I’m sitting here looking at what he has done. Four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2011-2014 with two titles, 66 wins during the 2012-13 season, which was one of those title seasons for the Heat, five conference finals appearances, an NBA Finals appearance as the 5-seed in the East and the most impressive thing to me is the fact that the Heat have held a winning record in 12 of the 14 seasons he has been on the sideline with this season being to be determined, but I think they will finish with a winning record. Is Spoelstra’s legacy in Miami and as an NBA head coach already cemented in your mind?
Goldberg: Yeah, I think it is. He reached the Finals without LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and I think that was a big deal. They were also within a shot of making it to the NBA Finals last year. Those are two really long runs in three seasons for Spo and I think that the coaching job he has done, if you ask real NBA personnel around the league and not the casual fan, nobody is dismissive of what Erik Spoelstra has accomplished. Every fan base has its critics and opinions, but in terms of those opinions who actually matter around the league, Spo’s legacy is untouchable.
Potential Big Offseason Move For Miami Following No Trade Deadline Moves [8:19]
Pat Riley is always super aggressive leading the Miami Heat’s front-office, as he is always looking to put his team in a position to contend for a title. While Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry were two names the Heat were actively talking about leading up to the trade deadline, they only ended up moving veteran center Dewayne Dedmon for cash considerations.
Now, with the Heat struggling to prove that they have what it takes to go on another deep postseason run and their payroll growing exponentially heading into the offseason, what is next for this franchise in terms of contending for another title? [9:50]
Goldberg: I was a little surprised they didn’t make a move at the trade deadline and I do not think it was for a lack of trying. The Miami Heat were actively shopping Kyle Lowry before the deadline, but the problem was that Lowry was not on an expiring contract and is set to make nearly $30 million next season. That’s a hard contract to come off of and it’s harder to get off of Lowry’s contract than it was for the Lakers to get out of Russell Westbrook’s contract because at least Westbrook would be a free agent after this year. They held conversations with a lot of teams, I know the Clippers were one of them for instance, and teams were asking for draft compensation along with Kyle Lowry to take on that contract. The Heat were unwilling to do that because they don’t really have all that much draft capital, as they only own one other second-round pick in 2029 they can deal and they have two first-round picks, a third if they were to lift protections on one they owe to the Thunder. The Heat were of the mindset of holding onto the limited draft assets they have now in case a star becomes available in the summer.
Siegel: I had been hearing leading up to the deadline that the Heat would rather make one of those big moves in the offseason with Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson when they have cap flexibility and can freely move contracts around compared to being limited in-season. I really do believe that Pat Riley still wants to add another star to this roster and he’ll be willing to go all-in for a player like Bradley Beal if he becomes available or maybe they go after someone like Kyrie Irving or Fred VanVleet in a potential offseason sign-and-trade. There is no question that Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo seem to be off-the-table in trade talks, but Tyler Herro’s situation is interesting. I wouldn’t expect the Heat to look to deal him for a star, but if Herro is the sure path to getting Bradley Beal, I’m not so sure the Heat would be as reluctant to trade him, especially since Washington wouldn’t be interested in soon-to-be 37 year old Kyle Lowry.
Goldberg: The problem with Bradley Beal is that he is also owed a ton of money after signing that max deal. Given that the Heat are so far into the luxury tax already, it would take a lot of outgoing money in order to pull off a move like that and I’m not sure if the Wizards will be rebuilding after Bradley Beal and want to take a lot of that money on. Now, you’d have to find a third team to get involved and they’ll want draft picks, something the Heat still do not have, which is where the problems lie in a potential deal like this. I like Bradley Beal as a player, but I am not sure he makes the Heat significantly better than they currently are, especially if you have to move a bunch of your role players for salary purposes just to get him. If I am the Heat and I am thinking about Pat Riley, rings on the table to go out and get a superstar, I am thinking of Joel Embiid or Damian Lillard. I am not reporting anything, but those are the types of stars that could really get the Heat where they want to go because Miami cannot bring back this same roster again next year. The mindset needs to be “hey, can we go get that A-list star” and if the answer is no, then Miami will have some tough decisions to make.
Kyle Lowry Injury Situation & Potential Return [18:02]
Since signing with the Miami Heat ahead of the start of the 2021-22 season, Kyle Lowry has not played like the third All-Star Miami wanted him to be and so far this season, he has been limited to just 44 games due to injuries and personal issues.
With limited time remaining in the regular season and Lowry not playing in a game since February 2 due to a knee injury, Wes gave an update on when the Heat could get their veteran point guard back.
Goldberg [18:22]: “In terms of his health, Kyle Lowry did travel with the team when they recently went to Philadelphia. This was notable not only because he’s from the area, but because he had not traveled with the team in a while and he was upgraded to questionable. Ultimately, going through pre-game shootaround and stuff, he decided he was not yet ready to play. His return does seem imminent though and my guess is that it is going to happen at some point during their six-game homestand. You hope, if you are the Heat, that this time off has done him well and he has recovered enough to give it his all for the playoffs… A healthy Kyle Lowry is still a positive for this team and they need as much help as they can possibly get at this point.”
Impact Of Buyout Market Additions In Kevin Love & Cody Zeller [19:48]
While they did not make any big moves ahead of the trade deadline, the Heat were active in the buyout market and free agency, as they added Kevin Love, who was bought out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and veteran center Cody Zeller, who had been a free agent all season long.
Love is a former NBA champion with the Cavs that has already made his mark in the starting rotation for the Heat and Zeller has surprisingly given this team a much-needed boost off-the-bench behind Bam Adebayo.
Wes talked about the impact of both Love and Zeller, as well as what they can bring to the table moving forward.
Goldberg [20:28]: “They put Kevin Love in the starting lineup right away, so obviously they think he can be a difference-maker moving forward. He’s the only true power forward on the roster and allows the Heat to now move Caleb Martin back to his normal position on the wing instead of playing small with him at the power forward spot. When you look at the run the Heat went on in 2020, they had Bam Adebayo play a lot of minutes alongside Meyers Leonard and Kelly Olynyk. Kevin Love gives them a similar look as a stretch-four/five kind of guy that can switch matchups defensively… I like this move to add Love and I like the Cody Zeller move as well since he is a true back-up center. Size will be important come playoff time if the Heat draw a team like the Cavaliers or 76ers and these two veterans help them in that department.”
