Q: Ira, Josh Richardson wore “0” when he was here the first time. Since Kevin Love didn’t take “O” when he came from Cleveland, is J-Rich getting it back? – Elliot.
A: It is an interesting approach taken by the Heat since Josh Richardson signed back at the July start of free agency. There still is no number alongside Josh’s listing on the official Heat roster at NBA.com, as there is for most players, including first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. Of course, there also is a certain player who has worn No. 0 his entire NBA career. So while the Heat wait on Damian Lillard, they seemingly also are waiting on Josh’s number. It will be interesting to see how long that waiting game will play out. While Josh also wore No. 0 with the 76ers and Mavericks, he wore No. 8 with the Celtics, No. 7 with the Spurs and, most recently, No. 2 with the Pelicans. If Kyle Lowry is sent out in a deal for Lillard, then No. 7 would come free, after Goran Dragic graciously deeded it to Kyle. Then again, if Goran were to return in free agency . . .
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Q: Will the Heat fire-sale trade big contracts and supplement the roster with lower-paid players when Damian Lillard is added? – Randy, Daytona Beach.
A: I highly doubt austerity is going to enter the equation if you add a 33-year-old veteran with nearly $200 million left on his contract. As for the 2023-24 payroll and the impact of a Lillard trade, that likely will come down to exactly how much salary is sent out, and, even more so, whether the Blazers will require the Heat to take on more than Lillard. For example, should Portland insist the Heat also take on the contract of center Jusuf Nurkic, then the Heat’s 2023-24 luxury tax would skyrocket.
Q: Nobody can blame Damian Lillard. He’s 33 and has to prioritize himself now. He gave Portland his all and they did nothing for him. – Dave.
A: Well, some would say that offering a $120 million two-year extension to a player who will be 37 at the end of that contract is doing plenty. But, again, the shame of this all is allowing a bond between player, franchise and city to sour after so many memories had been created.
