Q: Ira, so much for my pipedream of Goran Dragic luring Luka Doncic to Miami. No need to save for free agency. – Sammie.
A: As I addressed in my Sunday column, NBA free agency as the prime means of franchise makeovers has been on the wane for years. So from the moment he was dealt from the Mavericks to the Lakers, Luka Doncic appeared headed to the extension agreed upon Saturday. That’s just how the NBA works these days, with the massive guaranteed money in extensions too much to risk with a waiting game. But that doesn’t mean that cap space still isn’t valued, considering it also can be utilized to facilitate trades. As far as what might be available next summer – when the Heat might or might not have cap space – there still are some names that could make it to market in July 2026. At the moment (with “at the moment” the critical phrasing there), the list could yet include: De’Aaron Fox, Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis, Zach LaVine and Austin Reaves, among others. As it is, should they dip their waters into next summer’s free-agency pool, the Heat’s Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins also could be part of that list. As far as dreams of a Doncic-Heat union, we’ll have to wait to hear from Heat special agent Goran Dragic regarding his fellow Slovenian.
Q: Ira, does the Luka signing end the LeBron James speculation, or heat it back up (Heat it back up?)? – Tony.
A: See what you did there, and with LeBron James and his penchant for passive aggression, one never quite knows, no matter the signals being sent. There has not been a moment since the St. Vincent-St. Mary days that LeBron James has not been top dog on his team, including when alongside Dwyane Wade with the Heat. Now it appears the Lakers, from this moment forward will be Luka Doncic’s team. So, yes, figure on a degree of drama. It will be interesting to see the messaging.
Q: Do you think the Heat’s offseason moves met Bam Adebayo’s hopes? – Sandy.
A: This was in response to Bam Adebayo at his Saturday youth clinic addressing his April comment about expectations of an eventful Pat Riley offseason. One thing I would say about Bam is that he leaves the personnel decisions to others and goes to work with what it provided. There is no passive-aggression there. I do believe that he was candid in assessing Norman Powell as a needed upgrade, and that he very much wanted Davion Mitchell back as a component who could assist with the defense. But this is not a Jimmy Butler type of situation, where you later hear about a player privately questioning the front office.