Q: Ira, you keep dancing around the question: How do we get rid of Terry Rozier? – Theo.
A: It is not a dance, and, at this juncture, it would be a hard reality. The Heat had to sweeten their offer of Kyle Lowry with a potentially unprotected future first-round pick to the Hornets to close the deal for Terry Rozier last January. So the thought is that getting back draft capital in any trade would be the preference. That said, Terry’s struggles have reached the point where a trade out likely would have to include a sweetener. Here’s one possibility: Package Rozier with Duncan Robinson, whose outside shooting could entice teams with such a need (Lakers? Warriors?). In fact, if Robinson and Rozier were off the books next season, then the Heat could accommodate a return of Jimmy Butler and still wind up in a practical position against the salary cap and luxury tax in 2025-26. That’s not to say there should be any haste with Robinson, who continually has shown his value in making Heat lineups work, including this current pairing with Tyler Herro. But it’s just to say that Duncan could wind up as an unexpected sweetener amid a situation that has soured with Terry.
Q: Sadly, Jimmy Butler only puts up those numbers when he is well rested and playing below-average teams. Don’t be fooled; the decline is real. – Mac.
A: Well there still is ample time ahead of the trading deadline for Jimmy Butler to turn in a similar performance such as Monday night’s triple-double against quality opposition ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline. The Magic, for example, smothered him in the teams’ previous meeting. Now the Heat will have two games against the Magic in an upcoming six-day span, so let’s see how those play out, particularly with the first on the second night of a back-to-back set.
Q: Low tops. – Beau.
A: Yes, one certainly has the right to question the footwear of today’s players, especially Heat players, in regard to the ankle sprain that previously had Jimmy Butler out this season and now has Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic out. There are ample options of ankle braces specifically designed to help brace for such moments,