The Miami Herald’s Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions. If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via X (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them to achiang@miamiherald.com.
@KellyLinters22: Which of the Heat’s young picks (Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic) has the most upside going into next year?
Anthony Chiang: I’m going with the youngest and tallest player on this list — 2024 Heat first-round pick Kel’el Ware. Not only does Ware have a coveted skill set that can’t be taught as a 7-footer who has the athleticism to serve as quality rim protector on the defense and lob threat on offense while also flashing the potential to make threes, but he’s also just 20 years old. After starting the season out of the Heat’s rotation, he has been a fixture in Miami’s starting lineup since late January. There have been ups and downs for Ware since he moved into the starting lineup, but that’s part of being an NBA rookie.
Meanwhile, it has been a shaky sophomore NBA season for 2023 Heat first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. after making the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team last season. Jaquez, who began the season as one of the Heat’s top reserves, now appears to be on the back end of the Heat’s rotation.
As for 2022 Heat first-round pick Nikola Jovic, he has showed signs of improvement this season with his three-point shooting, defense and playmaking. He has turned into an important part of Miami’s bench rotation this season, but is currently sidelined after breaking his right hand last month.
To simplify this exercise, just ask yourself this question: Which of the Heat’s last three first-round picks would you be most hesitant to include in a trade? Your answer is probably the one you believe has the most upside heading into next season.
@jgrib105281: What are the top problems with the Heat, including coaching? Are they fixable?
Anthony: The Heat lost its best player when it traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors last month, and now Miami is one star short. That’s the bottom line.
Was the Heat an elite regular-season team with Butler? Not for the last few seasons. But even though the Heat needed to take part in the play-in tournament last season, remember that Miami did finish last season 10 games above the .500 mark at 46-36.
This season, the Heat was 17-15 before things turned ugly with Butler and his first of three suspensions was issued by the team.
With Butler playing just five games for the Heat since the start of January amid serving three team-issued suspensions before eventually being traded to the Warriors on Feb. 6, Miami has missed the player who was its top closer. Not only is the Heat just 12-22 since Jan. 2, but it has also been outscored by 15.5 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter during this span. Thirteen of the Heat’s 17 blown double-digit leads and 12 of its 15 blown fourth-quarter leads have come during this stretch.
Heat Muse: Why didn’t we land Damian Lillard? Was it more Pat Riley or Joe Cronin?
Anthony: This was a complicated situation, but the simple answer is the Portland Trail Blazers just weren’t interested in what the Heat was willing to offer for Damian Lillard.
The Heat and Trail Blazers spoke about a deal shortly after Lillard made his trade request in July 2023, but communication between the two sides was very limited since that point. The Trail Blazers never re-engaged the Heat before accepting the Milwaukee Bucks’ offer later that offseason.