Q: Ira, why aren’t we getting our first-round pick back from Charlotte? A second-round pick is an insult, especially since the Hornets and the NBA didn’t disclose that Terry Rozier was under investigation for betting. – David, Fort Lauderdale.
A: The way it has been explained to me is that the Heat received a tangible benefit of adding Terry Rozier to their mix for a season and a half before he was placed on NBA leave one game into this season. So while it might not have worked out the way the Heat wanted, they did have Terry available for his 95 appearances over those two seasons. So first-round pick minus 95 games of usage equals, according to Adam Silver math, a second-round pick. Basically, the Heat drove Rozier off the lot and depreciation set in immediately. So the payoff from that NBA lemon law was the second-rounder. What will remain a greater unknown is how much did the gambling investigation weigh on Terry over those 95 games.
Q: We want our money back, too, NBA. – Cali.
A: Which the Heat very well might be able to claw back if Terry Rozier is found guilty or accepts a plea deal. But that, too, is an area where the NBA fell short, with the Heat locked in hard against the luxury tax by having to carry Terry’s salary on their books this season. With relief in that regard, it might have changed the outlook at both the trade deadline and even now on the buyout market. In the NBA, you can get an injured-player exception but not an indicted-player exception.
Q: Of the nine-man rotation the Heat used in the Detroit victory, six were Heat draft picks and two were former Heat developmental players. Doesn’t that dispel the idea that tanking is necessary to build a quality roster? – Nathan, Port St. Lucie.
A: Yes, but the issue is whether you can build a championship roster without an elite player selected with a high lottery pick, as the Pistons did with Cade Cunningham. And that’s been the conundrum with the Heat for years, building to compete instead of cultivating a championship player through the lottery. Can it be done? Yes. Is it the easiest path? Not even close. The lottery is about upside. The Heat can develop to a certain level, but innate talent and skill ultimately tend to prevail.