Q: Ira, do you see a team taking on Terry Rozier straight up, and if not do you see the Heat forced to add a sweetener? I hate for this team to start the season with the Terry noise going on. We had plenty last year with Jimmy Butler. – Jerry, Miami.

A: Based on last season’s performance and the outside swirl regarding Terry Rozier, I can’t see any takers without a sweetener. And I can’t see the Heat adding a sweetener when they already sent out a first-round pick for Terry that is coming due in 2027 or ’28. If there is a Terry trade, it likely would be another team trying to move off future money in exchange for Terry’s expiring deal (meaning not Heat cap space next summer), or as his salary being packaged as part of a bigger deal. The thing is if Terry is not as terrible as he was last season, he is a player that could be able to help an offensively challenged team. But the one constant with Terry, through good and bad times with the Heat, is he never has been an issue in the locker room, nothing like Jimmy Butler. He comes to work ready to play, ready to support. He has been a very good teammate.

Q: Pat Riley usually jumps on distressed assets. Surprised no chatter about Heat making a move for Jonathan Kuminga. –  Chadwick, Lake Worth.

A: There is nothing “distressed” about Jonathan Kuminga except his status as a restricted free agent. Because of where the Heat are against the cap, they cannot extend an offer sheet. So that would mean a complex trade package that would involve all kinds of base-year compensation issues. This is not a case where the Warriors are desperate to unload Kuminga. In fact, it is the opposite, as they hold all the cards due to his status as a restricted free agent.

Q: The Heat not thinking they need to add a veteran backup center is like the Dolphins thinking they didn’t need a backup for Tua. Everyone knows how this is going to go. – Harvey.

A: I’m not sure adding a third-string backup center is the same as having a quality backup quarterback in a violent sport. But it certainly would not hurt. As it is, beyond Vlad Goldin and his two-way contract, there hardly is much in the way of bulk in the middle for the Heat.

Originally Published: July 24, 2025 at 6:05 AM EDT