ASK IRA: Did the Pacers’ hiring of Rick Carlisle create a Heat roadblock?

Q: Is Rick Carlisle’s first call to the Heat? — Thad.

A: I doubt it. In fact, by hiring a win-now coach in Rick Carlisle, and by the man who built the roster, Kevin Pritchard, doing the hiring, it says that the Pacers want to prove that the roster is not broken, but rather had failed by the way it had been coached. And that’s a shame from a Heat perspective, because there certainly are Indiana options, in Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon, that could cure some of what ails the Heat. I would think the Rick took the job as part of an interview process where he signed off on the value of what already is in place.

Q: Damian Lillard has been coy with Portland. That tells me he is looking around for something better. Are the Heat something better? — Eric.

A: I’m not sure if you are asking if Damian Lillard believes the Heat are something better, or if they are better than what he has been playing alongside in Portland. So I’ll put it this way: Damian Lillard would have more proven talent around him on a Heat roster with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. But short of trading Bam, I’m not sure I see a Heat path to Damian. I’m not sure that that Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson in a sign-and-trade, and, say, Precious Achiuwa would be enough to entire the Blazers, no matter Damian’s desires. And the Blazers assuredly also would want draft compensation, which the Heat lack unless they pay something to unlock their 2023 first-round pick to Oklahoma City (in which case they then could trade their ’25 first-rounder). But I doubt that Damian Lillard could look at this Heat roster, if, say, he was swapped for Bam, and say he is in a better place than his Portland purgatory.

Q: Is Erik Spoelstra going to recruit in Vegas? — Steven.

A: Certainly not overtly. But there certainly will be the opportunity to build equity with the emerging, young stars he will coach on the USA Select team that will practice against the Olympic roster. Those players eventually will become free agents at some point. And it also allows Spoelstra (and therefore the Heat) to gather further intel on where money eventually might best be spent.