Q: With the Heat drafting Nikola Jovic, and now adding Orlando Robinson to their summer-league squad, and with Omar Yurtseven definitely back, do you think we’ve seen the last of Dwayne Dedmond ? – Joel.
A: Even though everyone is in the same position, I am not sure that the conditions are related. First, Orlando Robinson is nothing but an Exhibit 10 at this point, with nothing more convincing than a summer-league spot and perhaps a camp invitation. Nikola Jovic is young and raw, hardly stepping up if the starter is sidelined. So basically Dwayne Deadmon’s status may come down to the degree of trust in Omar. This could be a case where Udonis Haslem uses the roster spot to protect Dedmon on the Heat roster. Remember, Deadmon is a free agent, so there may be outside interests, with teams willing to offer at least a minimal contract under his direction. He is consistently coming out of quality seasons as a traditional backup center.
Q: If the Heat can free someone like Harrison Barnes, they’ll fight for the championship again. – Juan.
A: It must mean that you believe they are close, which they certainly seem to be. I’m not saying it’s Harrison Barnes, but an extra-versatile wing scorer can help—until the return of Victor Oladipo is confident, and something closer to his former All-Star self.
Q: Watching the Nets drift into the playoffs, I noticed that 33-year-old Kevin Durant was quite on the decline. Why is that a dream trade target? – Brian.
A: Because he remains one of the NBA’s elite players at that age, just like LeBron James, is still clearly capable of leading a team to the playoffs. But the Nets are so committed to the Rockets in their future draft James Harden trade, they’re also not in a position to rebuild. So the odds remain on Brooklyn trying to fix things with Durant.
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