ASK IRA: Could a Thomas Bryant trade provide the Heat luxury-tax relief?

Q: Ira, I have an answer for the Heat for their roster and their salary cap: Trade Thomas Bryant to the Knicks for a pick. The Knicks need a big man and Bryant would get a chance to play. We already have Kevin Love as our backup center. – Steve.

A: With Mitchell Robinson to miss the start of the season, with Isaiah Hartenstein lost to the Thunder in free agency, and with Julius Randle and unknown because of injury concerns of his own, Thomas Bryant has been a name mentioned as a Knicks stopgap answer. Only he can’t be, at least not immediately. Players signed in the offseason, as Thomas did with the Heat in July, cannot be traded until Dec. 15, at the earliest. With the Knicks living in the moment with Robinson’s injury absence, they need someone good to go now, as a potential  in-the-moment alternative fill-in to former Heat big man Precious Achiuwa or Jericho Sims. For that matter, the Heat also cannot immediately deal Kevin Love (not that they plan to, anyway), since he, too, signed in the offseason.

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Q: Seems like Nassir Little has received a guaranteed one-year deal to take up that 15 standard final roster spot. Does this mean that the Miami Heat are planning a trade or cutting a player before the year is out in order to avoid that punitive second apron?  – Carlos, West Park.

A: Actually, Nassir Little received a one-year, non-guaranteed tryout contract. That means the Heat get free, unpaid inspection during the preseason, with Nassir then, if he makes the final camp cut, to be paid on a per-day basis (albeit with luxury-tax multiplier, as well). Such math in the short run would keep the Heat below the second apron of the luxury  tax. So what we’re talking about here is a camp tryout, nothing more. As for cutting another player to make room, there would be no benefit since each of the other 14 on the roster under standard deals are holding guaranteed contracts. Only a trade for a pick or cash would free the room needed to add a 15th standard deal and still remain below the second apron.

Q: Why do “fans” care so much about the uniforms or the color of the court? The guys that are in those uniforms on the court is where the focus should be, not those or the bleeping “kiss-camera” or any of the other distractions. – Mike, Miami Lakes.

A: This came in response to the Heat’s new uniform patch, anticipated reveal of the new City jerseys, and a previous question about the Heat’s court motif. The answer is because the NBA, and practically all sports, have become as much about marketing and entertainment as the games themselves. For every old-school fan asking about adding another point guard, there are questions sent this way about whether the Heat are giving out T-shirts on opening night or whether there is an impending giveaway. It is why there is as much promotion at times about a new scoreboard as the addition of a free agent. You can’t guarantee a win, but you can guarantee mayhem when there is a T-shirt toss.