Q: So the Heat have road wins this season against Milwaukee, Toronto, Philadelphia, Indiana and Brooklyn, and now have wins against all those teams at home, as well. The only team they haven’t beaten yet is Boston. Looks to me like they can win against any team in the conference, anywhere. — Chris, Gainesville.
A: Well, we still have to wait on the Celtics. The Heat’s two losses to the Celtics this season both came on the second nights of back-to-back sets. They lost on Dec. 4 at TD Garden after winning the night before in Toronto, then lost on Jan. 28 at home to the Celtics a night after defeating the Magic at home. Neither of the final two meetings are part of back-to-backs, with both coming in April, on April 1 in Boston and April 11 at AmericanAirlines Arena. So, for the moment, I would go as the Celtics as the Heat’s most difficult hurdle in the East, with all due respect to the Bucks, Raptors, 76ers and Pacers. As it is, a first-round series with the Celtics remains within the realm.
Q: You have $12 million beyond a max contract in 2021, who do you spend it on: Goran Dragic, Derrick Jones Jr. or Jae Crowder? — Chet.
A: At the moment? No one. I wait to see who, if anyone, I can land at such a max slot during the 2021 offseason and then utilize the remaining cap space for the player who best complements said player. In other words, Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. would be invited to stay around for one more season at salaries commensurate with their contributions, but going into the 2021-22 cap might be another story.
Q: Why is Solomon Hill still here? — Jesse.
A: Because he had no reason to take a buyout and give back money on the final year of his contract, and because with the Heat already in the luxury tax, the team deemed no need to spend additional salary to waive him to add someone off the buyout market. That doesn’t mean there still can’t be a Heat move. Remember, as long as a player with another team was waived by March 1, he is playoff eligible for another team’s playoff roster. Plus, any player not in the league this season is eligible to see signed any time prior to the final game of the regular season and be playoff eligible. That includes those who have played overseas this season.
