ASK IRA: Have Heat made a statement with their choice of extensions?

Q: I really think the Heat are looking to move on from Jimmy Butler, extending almost everyone except Butler. – JSmooth.

A: First, the moves with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic were nothing more than picking up rookie-scale options, making those transactions more perfunctory than any large-scale votes of confidence (or lack thereof). With Bam Adebayo, the fact that he was willing not to wait out a potential supermax extension essentially was a win for the Heat. And when Tyler Herro was extended, it was a time when he was playing at the level of a Sixth Man of the Year, a move made within his extension window. With Jimmy Butler, the Heat not only have until June to decide on a potential extension, but there also is the possibility of such a decision being made moot if Jimmy picks up his 2025-26 player option. So, for now, the Heat don’t have to be on the clock with Jimmy, as they did with Jaime, Nikola and Bam.

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Q: Nikola Jovic and Jaimes Jaquez Jr. both are made for our Heat culture. – Marcelo.

A: Agree, the buy-in has been complete from both. Now the question is whether the talent level can get the Heat back to where they want to be in the standings.Considering Nikola barely played as a rookie, it will be interesting to see from both whether there is a sophomore stride or sophomore slump.

Q: Perhaps people are just spoiled by the Heat’s past success. With that being said, I think the Heat are riding on the coattails of something that doesn’t exist anymore. – Scotty.

A: So the issue is whether one shorthanded first-round ouster changed the entire perspective for a team that the previous season made the NBA Finals and the year before made the Eastern Conference finals. While calling last season a mulligan would be an overstatement, I still think the benefit of the doubt has been earned. Now, crash and burn this coming season, then everything is on the table. But you can’t summarily dismiss Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as something that doesn’t exist anymore when it existed just fine in 2021-22 and ’22-23.