Oh, 93.9% of the regular season isn't enough, they want the full 💯 ? You're thinking I'm going to make fun of them and you're 93.9% right.
Look, it's been the Kyle Lowry Defect not the Kyle Lowry Effect. All of last season + 93.9% of this has been a disaster.Donut. There was the Duncan Robinson Moment, 2019/20. Before and after he has been the Michigan Sixth Man.
Lovey Dovey Turtle Dovey. He was Cleve's like ninth man. He starts for us.
Caleb Martin.
Gabe Vincent.
Max Strus.
Vic Oladipo.
That's the best seven-man rotation in the history of the G-League. Gotta be worth something, no? No. "Heat" fannies breezily throw out "trade" solutions. You have to match salaries, you know. Go ahead brother, find a team willing to take Kyle at 37 earning $26.9M next season...Line forms on the right.
Donut. Production declines four straight seasons. Three seasons left on a contract paying $19M per...Going once, going twice.
Love is a free agent at season's end. Not re-signing him will save you $3M, chump change in today's Association.
Caleb you could get something for. He's heady, plays sticky D, has averaged 9.5 ppg for us and is earning $6.8M next season and a player option $7.1M in 2024/25.
Vic. He's averaging 10 ppg. He's only 31 but Vic's shot! He makes $9.4M next season. You could get someone to take that contract but you'd have to take flotsam back.
The Artist. Gabe's production has increased each of his three full seasons with us and he only makes $1.8M per. You could definitely get something for Gabe.
The Composer. The Composer is another future, production increased each year in Miamuh, numbers very similar to The Artists and he only makes $1.7M.
Duncan is worth, hmm maybe what Gabe or Max make; fine, make him worth their salaries combined, $3.5M...And your point is? The "Heat" are going to have to eat Donut and his $57M for the next three seasons. Maybe it'll go down better with plenty of coffee.
Moreso with Kyle. Bees and Gees, $26.9M here, $26.9M there, pretty soon you're talking real money! Seriously, $26.9M eats a TON of cap space. Kyle is 21.7% of "Heat" cap space this year! Four more Kyles and you're capped out. Off reputation alone you could probably get a team to bite $10M for him.You could definitely get a team to take Kyle and Vincent and Strus. That would be $33.3M you would off-load and could theoretically bring you a damn good player in return. $33.3M will get you a damn good baller. But the rule in sports trades is the team wins who gets the best single player. $33.3M would get you exactly CJ McCollum, Nikola Jokic with $2M to spare, Joel Embiid if you threw in a paltry 300 thou. So you're telling me Denver is going to trade MVP candidate Jokic for Kyle Lowry, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus? Who wins that trade according to the rule? Philly's gonna trade MVP candidate Joel for the same package. Bull and shit. You can work variations anyway you want, the "Heat" is not getting a "Whale" with what they have to offer.
93.9% laughing at us. That still leaves 6.1% dreaming and here I go. I really believe that some of the "Heat's" 10-13 game decline from last season to this is up to fatigue. They came within a bucket of making it to the Finals last season. That’s a long-ass season and it takes a lot out of players mentally and emotionally. Pat Riley doesn't accept that and that's on him. He ran this entire exhausted roster back for another this season. You can't do that. Guys are getting on Spo's nerves and he on theirs. You have to refresh a little. The players have not had it in them this season to give the 110% that the "Culture" demands. Lowry pushed back, big time, on Riley's demands. Jimmy, you can't get blood out of a stone, folks. Bam is at his ceiling. Tyler is the third gem in this collection and he will get even better. Jimmy, Bam and Tyler is a damn good nucleus--it's not the Big Three! but it's definitely better than 40-45 wins. This same roster won 53 games last season, tops in the East! With...you can't say "taking this season off" because they certainly did not, but organically this season and the summer should bring back a refreshed Really Good Three. That core with the improving Vincent and Strus and the solid Martin could win 53 games again next season. Really. But Gabe and Max and Caleb are not starters. You have three starters and no point guard. You need two more Real Goods, one of them a PG.