ASK IRA: Will Heat prioritize Victor Oladipo or Caleb Martin?
Q: I know the Heat have Victor Oladipo’s Bird Rights but if they could only afford to keep either Caleb Martin or Victor, which one do you think they would prefer to keep? Caleb is younger and more athletic at this stage of his career, but Victor may still have more upside on the offensive end. Thoughts? – Jeffrey, Miami.
A: I believe the choice would be Caleb Martin for this reason: The way this roster is constructed, it’s all about complementing Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. That is among the reasons why Kyle Lowry was brought aboard. Caleb is more of a complementary component than Victor Oladipo, whose style tends to overlap with Butler’s approach. That said, there currently is no reason that both can’t be brought back, unless either gets an outside offer that exceeds the stratosphere of logic for the Heat.
Q: Upgrade Tyler Herro for a superstar like Bradley Beal, get Kyle Lowry into shape, upgrade backup center, re-sign Victor Oladipo, find an upgrade at backup point guard, and go bring Goran Dragic back for when Lowry/Jimmy Butler need days off. – James.
A: Nothing like a man with a plan. Except . . . so where do we start? You can only flip Tyler Herro for a superstar if you find a trade partner. There are no guarantees there that teams won’t seek more, perhaps far more. As for an upgrade at backup point guard, what exactly is wrong with Gabe Vincent? As for Victor Oladipo’s free agency, that likely comes down to price point (with there likely a point of no return for the Heat). And, sure, nothing against bringing back Goran Dragic. But not sure about carrying both Goran and Udonis Haslem at their ages.
Q: Ira, I have been a Heat fan since the ‘80s when they started the franchise. I love Udonis Haslem as much as the next guy, which brings me to my question: Is one spot on the roster nowadays considered so inconsequential that you can afford to have a mentor take one of those positions away from a “possible” contributor? I’m starting to question his actual value. If he wants to continue to mentor then he should be an assistant coach and if he doesn’t want to coach then he should move on. Just saying? – Brent, Wellington.
A: As long as the Heat believe they have ample resources in their developmental pipeline, then the impact of carrying such a player is mitigated. The Heat closed this past season with Omer Yurtseven, Haywood Highsmith, Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart as developmental pieces. Ultimately, it’s not as if Markieff Morris contributed much more than Udonis Haslem this past season. All of that said, one would think a point would be reached where a compromise could be made for that roster spot.
