raferfenix wrote:Heat have such a weird team.Q: Ira, you ran a question about whether Tyler Johnson can be considered a tradable asset, given his salary bump next year. What I keep wondering is this: Tyler is a better defender than Dion, shoots a higher 3-point percentage, and generally puts up decent numbers. He's in a slump and playing uneven at the moment and he's still got better stats per minute than Dion. When you talk about shuffling the lineup, why don't you ever discuss just putting Tyler in the starting five and seeing if he can excel? If so, maybe Dion can prove a more valuable trade asset in rebalancing this team. I think if Tyler plays bigger minutes than maybe his $19 million contract years will be easier to swallow. -- Mark, Chicago.
A: One of the appreciations I've developed over the years for coaches is the way they not only have to manage skill sets, but also egos. You make cogent points from both skill and salary perspectives. But I cannot fathom, after finally getting the opportunity to become a team focus and then re-upping in the offseason, that Dion ever would accept a shift to a reserve role. I believe you would lose him, at least mentally, at that point. Tyler, by contrast, has thrived in a bench role over his Heat tenure, to the point where Erik Spoelstra has gone out of his way to avoid starting him. The tweak you could consider would be extending Tyler's time at the cost of Dion's, but that hardly would be the best way to set up a player for a trade, as you suggest. No, to me it comes down to whether the Heat believe Tyler can become an impactful and consistent sixth man. At $50 million over four years you can live with that. But remember, the total cash investment in Dion is even greater.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-askira-story.html
That Tyler Johnson deal is insane. Along with the huge 3rd and 4th year balloon amounts, it also has a 15% trade kicker. Good luck trading that.
