Dame again? Should the Miami Heat pursue the injured guard? | Five on the Floor

Dame again? Should the Miami Heat pursue the injured guard? | Five on the Floor

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welcome to five on the floor a daily insider show on the Miami Heat and the NBA featuring Ethan Skolnick Greg Sander Alex Toledo Brady Hawk and others from the five reason sports network also make sure to subscribe to off the floor for the most heat anywhere there. Well, welcome back to Five on the Floor. This is going to feel like Five on the Floor 2023, 2024 to a little bit of a degree. Here we are in 2025 and we are doing another Dame Lillard episode. I think this makes 59, Alex.
We’re playing all the hits this summer, folks. The Jimmy era is over and we’re getting one last summer summer to just reminisce through all the guys.
KDO podcast. D Rozan podcast soon. D Rozan podcast soon. That one’s coming up. Uh so we need we need something to talk about though and there actually are legs to this. So we will get into it. Damon Lillard is no longer going to be a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, proving again that sometimes you should just mind your own business. Uh the Bucks got involved in the business a couple years ago when Dame wanted to go to Miami. Joe Cronin would not deal with Miami. Never even got as far as the full negotiation with the Heat because he just didn’t want to operate, you know, in any way with the Heat. Um, by the way, the players he’s traded Dame Lillard for have not worked out so well. Most of them are not even there anymore. And they just had to buy out DeAndre Aton for a ton of money and he was key to the Lillard deal at the time. He came from Phoenix at the time. So you look back at that trade, you look at Portland, Milwaukee, Boston. The team that made out was Boston. Boston got Drew Holiday in that deal from Milwaukee, which made Milwaukee worse defensively, even though Dame before the injuries obviously had his moments offensively with Bucks. The Celtics win a championship and then somehow they’re able to unload Drew Holiday when his contract was worse in terms of his production back on Portland. I still don’t know how they did that. Uh, but Boston was the only team that made out. And by the way, at the time, that’s what the Heat thought, too. They thought that the Celtics like that was that was when they were upset. It was not really when Dame was traded to Milwaukee. It was when Drew was traded to Boston. And it turned out that they were right about that. And the Heat had concerns at the time. I know everything is revisionist history, but we said at the time they had concerns about age, salary, defense. Um, and now Dame’s injured for a year, but I also understand the argument that if you had gotten Dame, he might have given Jimmy a chance to win a championship with Miami. So, I I get that side of it, too. But with where Dame is right now, Alex, and Milwaukee has waved him. They’re going to be paying for him or at least $20 million worth on a stretch, $22 million for the next several years. Um, holding that dead money basically. There’s questions about whether Giannis is happy or not happy. A lot of lot of conflicts in terms of reporters that they deal with, etc. But the big thing is Dame is not going to play for most of next season. He is, is he 36 right now? Is that right?
I think he’s uh 35 if I remember correctly.
Okay. So, so he’s not gonna play for Mosa next season because of the Achilles to everybody in the in the East has an Achilles tear seem all the stars. Uh but yes, he’s obviously into his late 30s. Okay. So, there you are. So, enter during the mid to late 30s.
Uh still played an elite level offensively, including against the Heat. Uh last couple times he played against him. still capable of that when he’s healthy, but older player, major injury setback and not going to play for most of this season. And yet, as soon as this news was announced, it was okay, he’s going to Miami. Like, everybody thinks he’s going to Miami. So, I will and I know they still have interest, but I also know that they want to skew Young here. So, I will ask you, should the Heat have at this stage where they’re at, considering the fact he’s not going to play much this year, but could be ready for the year after when maybe Miami is in better position to really seriously compete as their young guys have grown and maybe they go out and get somebody else. Should he even explore this signing Dame when they have a roster spot, which by the way, right now they do not?
And that is so important to this whole conversation, man. Like, yeah, I do think they should explore it at the very least. Um, but it’s true what you said like they’re, you know, they’re in such a different position than two years ago when they were going after him and he was, you know, that that was the one team that he wanted to go to, right? There was no other teams listed, which by the way is so rare when you’ve seen all these guys move throughout the years, you know, um, they usually have a couple of teams, multiple teams they’re willing to play for um, that they have in mind. Dame wanted one. So yeah, like it obviously makes a lot of sense to immediately go to Well, maybe he wants to go to Miami, right? And Miami is still Miami, right? That’s that’s great, but the organization is in such a different place now. And so is he to be fair. Like things are not exactly the same. But since he probably won’t play again until he’s maybe 36 years old, um perhaps earlier, but again until around then, right? like I think he he would be prioritizing somewhere where he can have a real chance at contending and so obviously we still don’t know if he’s going to sign with the team this summer or wait a year um rehabbing since he’s going to have his money regardless. Um it’s really up to him at this point. The ball is completely in his court. Um but I just don’t know that this is the right situation honestly for either side. like there is some interest of course you know Dame is Dame but I don’t know what he’s going to look like why is he signing up to to to come here without any sort of I mean plan to contend in place the Damon Tyler back court is that Dame Tyler like an older Dame
coming back from an Achilles injury with Tyler and Bam and your young guys like is that would that be the plan or maybe that is just like what you start with and you move the pieces from there like maybe there’s something there but it’s just such a weird set of circumstances that it doesn’t feel like something that ultimately happens. Like there’s teams that are so much better. I mean,
all the teams that can look at themselves are contenders for the most part are in a better place to pursue something like this. I I just think it’s interesting because if you sign him to a two-year contract like people have been talking about, you’re essentially accounting for a red shirt season. And I think it was Barry who like suggested maybe the first year can be frontloaded so it’s easier for a team to add or like easier for their financial situation on the second season when he’s coming back. You know, that could be interesting to see what what the outcome is there. But ultimately when you kind of put it all together, it doesn’t feel like
the Dame Heat thing is going to happen. But maybe I I’ll be wrong there.
Well, I look, we thought it was going to happen when he said Miami and only Miami and it didn’t happen. And you know, in this case, you’re just negotiating with him. You’re not negotiating with or trying to negotiate with a general manager who doesn’t want to talk to you. So that’s helpful. But I to me it just comes and why I’m just not that excited about this is even if it ends up happening is it’s just where they are and what what what they they say they want to do, which is lean young. And I’m just thinking, okay, so yes, Dame Lillard’s better than any of these guys on this roster are has been better than any of them are going to be, okay, in terms of back backcourt players. not arguing otherwise. Guy’s a Hall of Famer. Um, and he has a personality to match and he is close with Bam and I I get all of that. And reality is, you know, Bam said the silver guy with the what the silver hair is going to make a bunch of changes this offseason and to this point they have not. They’re trying, but they have not. So, I get the point of one of your franchise players in your captain being happy and so getting Dame in the building, especially after you just lost Duncan, who is who he worked out with before every game and obviously had that onc court connection. I I get the idea of getting Dame for BAM and the cost would not be great because like you said, Dame’s getting his money right now anyway, but I I guess I just I don’t see the point. That that’s where I’m at. Like I And you mentioned for him I don’t see the point unless he just really wants to be in Miami, but you’re talking about teams like like you add Dame to a Denver like with what they’ve done. Okay. in terms of getting minimum guys. You add Dame to I mean I there’s talk about Golden State. I know he’s always had that friendly rivalry with Curry. That would not be a good defensive back court, but Dame wouldn’t be expected to play 30 minutes a night if he was there. And obviously that gets him back out on the West Coast. I just you know with the Lakers like a one-year run like if Lucas still there and you know they add other pieces. We’ll see what happens with LeBron. Like there’s just other teams that and I can see the Clippers too. Like
I was going to say
yeah the the Clippers make sense for me because they tend to want to do this kind of thing. So I I just look at this. I’m like, why would he he’s not in the same position as Durant. Like with Durant, I was like, okay, get to the east. Makes sense. Clearer path. Now you kind of see the vision. Now he’s still going to be in a crowded, loaded west, which has gotten better in the past three days. It always gets better. The East always gets worse. But, you know, now you see with Durant what the vision was and Houston’s added these other pieces. And, you know, looks like Durant was right to sort of, you know, steer this thing towards going there. But, you know, for for Dame, he’s on the same spot. I mean, Durant’s already had his Achilles injury. He’s through it. And I just think, you know, you look at a small I know Durant’s not an elite defensive player, but you look at a small guard who was not a good defender to begin with as who needs to be protected defensively. And that’s Durant doesn’t need to be protected defensively in that way. So, I I just I just think it makes it for a challenge. Like it’s one of those things that would feel like a nice story and it would be window dressing and yes he’d probably come back and he’s a great competitor and he’s doubted you know and all the rest of what the Medela commercial even says. He say let’s say he comes back and like he gives him 18 points the next year but to what end? That’s where I’m at. So and at that point Yakonis will be in his second year and 20 years old. We might want to see more of him. I’m not saying he’s going to be a better player than Dame Lillard but I you got to see what you got with some of these young guys. So, on the other side, we’ll get to this and maybe try to make the case for it. But I’m in uh and 90% of Heat fans when I pulled this were like, “Yes, go do it if the price is right.” But I I think but then those same fans are saying they need to lean young. So, I I it just it confuses me. Durant to me was an exception. I don’t I don’t think Dame is that exception at this stage coming off the injury at this point. Again, KD had the injury and and came back from it. All right. On the other side of this, we’ll try to give a reason for uh because we know that a lot of you think they should go do it. Uh real estate shopfl.com. I got a reason to reach out to them. Honest and trustworthy people. That’s what you need. Really good people. Javier Amanda, they will find the right house for you or help you get the most money for your particular property. Basic Book Ron. They do open houses all over here. So check them out at the Fort Lauderdale Realtor to signal when to go uh see the properties. We know that South Florida it doesn’t, you know, stuff’s out there. here. It ain’t out there too long a lot of the time. Um, in this particular real estate market, they can also help you navigate terms of interest rates, all the things that you’re going to need. It’s complicated to find the right house in South Florida. These are family people and they’ll do the best for your family. Check them out, real estate shopffl.com or the Fort Lauderdale Realtor. I mean, I kind of made I’ve kind of talking myself into a case against. So, I tell me what people are going to say to counter that. to counter the case against.
Yeah. I mean, what people are going to say to me, you don’t want a talented player, right? Like you don’t want a guy with Dames pedigree like do you love Tyler so much that you don’t want I mean I know where this is going from fans, right? What what is going to be their case?
Well, first of all, the thing is one of the themes with not getting the guy right over the years, whether with Jimmy, post Jimmy, you know what, even though the circumstances have been different throughout, I’m not trying to put them all in one bucket. They were all the same thing. Obviously not. But one of the the running themes that we talked about was getting guys at their price. And you reminded me that you keep saying Price is Right of the the uh Price is Right segment that I that I pitched to you a couple of weeks ago or actually it was during the Durant uh saga because we just keep hearing this like it just keeps coming up in cycles every year. But honestly, like it’s gotten to the point where like a guy like that, you know, it’s kind of a, you know, you can get him at a nice price, right? Like everything that’s been kind of said out there is that if he is going to be willing to sign a team that he’s he’s not going to be trying to get like anything near his value, obviously like we mentioned before, like there’s a there’s a year that is completely red shirted, right? So, it’s a very unique situation where they might be able to get a star type player for next to nothing. Now, obviously, there are some complications along the way. You don’t know what he’s going to look like when he’s back. Like, we’ve already talked about the the the fit timeline wise, basketball-wise is kind of weird now that it’s you’re talking about an older Dame with Tyler and Bam instead of, you know, prime prime Dame with Jimmy and Bam. Like, it’s a it’s a different thing. It’s a completely different
layout. But, yeah, like you get a guy for next to nothing who you might be able to get star type production out of. So, that is the case right there. It’s obviously a guy who has had the mutual interest. He’s friends with Bam, all that stuff. And it honestly like some of it really does feel like a heat type of move where it’s like, okay, we got this guy like, you know, there’s a lot of upside. Maybe it doesn’t work out, but if it works out and he’s back to being like close to what he was even this season, right? Not Portland D, but it’s like, yeah, you got something there. If even if ultimately like that’s not the the final move or whatever, like you got a lot more value than what you’re gonna give, which is maybe a veteran minimum,
right? I’m not sure. We don’t 100% know. Maybe he goes for more. Maybe a team gives him the mid level, a team that is willing to just use that, which would be kind of crazy. But I don’t know what his market is, but let’s say it is a veteran minimum. Like that’s a steal. That’s a steal because even if it doesn’t work out, you didn’t risk anything. You know, the only thing that it gets you closer to is the second apron. And I and I we we just got to mention that here even I know you mentioned the roster spots at the top of the show.
Um as of right now they have 15 players on the roster.
Um you know um before people start talking about Drew Smith and his qualifying offer. He’s likely to get a two-way deal. And I’m obviously not reporting that. I’m saying that based off of the fact that they have the 15 roster spots. Uh and he can he is still eligible for one more year of a of a two-way. He’s coming off the Achilles rehab. So it just feels like something that would be in the cards. Um, but then when after you look at the 15 guys, it’s like, well, how can they create a roster spot if they really wanted to make this same thing happen? And as we talked about, you know, there’s maybe, you know, a trade where they, you know, um, move two guys and only get back one, right? That’s an obvious way you can open up a roster spot. You just, you need another team
to work with you there. It’s got to be something you like. So, it’s a little bit more complicated. But, if you wanted, they can control something, right? And that is who is on the roster. And the only way to make this work under their control, right? Like not involving another team is not waving and stretching Fonteio, by the way,
right? It’s waving and stretching. Heaven love. I was just crunching the numbers in the first half of the show there.
Um because and I looked up some of the wave and stretch rules and it would be three years. Um you’d be stretching the salary for three years whether it be Fonte or Love. They’re both on a one-year expiring contract. Um except Fontio makes about twice as much as Kevin Love. And if you if you did Fonteku instead of Love as the wave and stretch candidate, they they would be over the luxury tax if they signed Dame afterwards. If they waved Love, unless my math is wrong. I’m no Brian Goins. I’m no Albert Namad. Um, but shout out capshets.com. Shout out Yosi Goslin. I’ve been using his website a lot. Great stuff. Great tool for anybody. A free tool by the way. Um, but if you if they wave and stretch Kevin Love, they should theoretically be able to sign Dame to a better minimum. and stay under the luxury tax. So, it kind of checks off a lot of boxes there. It’s like what would you rather use the last roster spot on, right? And obviously, I’m not, you know, I’m not trying to shade K. Love here and and everything he’s done for the team behind the scenes, the locker room, everything he did for the team on the court, right, as like a viable stretch big for a long time there, part of that finals run. But that is an option that they could explore if they really wanted to move forward with this and if his market is the minimum because they they would still have the the midlevel to offer. But that would put them over the tax. I don’t know if they will go over the tax for a red sheer year of Dave. No, I understand that. And I I think the Kevin Love thing would get attention here because again the the role that he’s playing behind the scenes and obviously, you know, the desire to keep him around the organization, which I get even if he’s not going to have a big playing role and he has a relationship with Dame by the way. So like all this feeds into it and and I understand in the past they’ve wanted to do this 555 thing where they have some guys towards the end of their career, but I’m just curious to see how strong the lean is to going young. And I I I don’t know. I I I’ll I’ll close it here because I I don’t want to belabor this too much because if this starts to get steam, we’re going to do more episodes on this. I this is a move that would have excited me two years ago. And I understand the price has come down, but the price comes down for a reason, right? Like the price comes down because you’re talking about a guy who, you know, is probably going to finish out his career with some productivity offensively, but I don’t know about how much contribution to winning he’s going to make. and I don’t know that they’re going to be in a position where their contribution really would matter. Um, and and so I I’m not saying he he would be a good influence behind the scenes clearly and I understand the idea of getting Bam, you know, a friend of his in that space. Uh, but I I don’t know. I I I’m not going to I’m not going to have a celebration for this one if it’s done. And I because it to me this is we’re talking about star hunting, but at a certain point guys are not I you know I I I don’t We talked about Jimmy’s decline and Dame’s decline would figure to be much greater considering the injury he’s just gone through. Like that Jimmy Jimmy has not gone through that kind of injury. He’s played through a lot of stuff, but not quite that. So I I’ll let you close on this.
I just wanted to make one last point here. Um, so with the the Dame stuff, if they went through with this and and and let’s say they they wave love who, like you mentioned, has a relationship with Dame, that might signal to fans that, you know, um, maybe this is like something that they think they can get something out of and he is like somebody that you add to a win now build a year from now. Let’s say they have a gap year, right? Like they have this gap year that everybody’s been talking about this season where they’re just not that good. Maybe they get a decent pick. I don’t know what what the outcome is. But and then they try to kind of get back to the Heat stuff where they’re like, you know, maybe somebody becomes available. I don’t know. Like that might be something that goes through my head. Um and as far as the other ways that they can make the roster spot open be uh beyond um waving and stretching K love and staying under the luxury tax, like they’ve got some expiring contracts to work with, man. Like Kyle Anderson was a a rotation player for the Timberwolves, was a rotation player for the Warriors. Um, I know he doesn’t excite anybody, but he’s somebody who could be thrown alongside, you know, in a trade with Wiggins or in a trade with Terry, who is also expiring. Um, you know, they got they just acquired Fontekio, who’s expiring. Like, they’ve got a lot of money that they are willing to move and guys who might be able to help winning teams like Wiggins. Um, honestly, like Fonteio again, he’s he’s not moving anybody. He’s not moving the needle for anybody, but he he can shoot the ball. Um, Highmith can defend. Like, they’ve got guys who can
who can do clear things. Kai Anderson, you know, does a little bit of everything. Like they’ve got expiring contracts they can move here. So there is like ways to make this happen. And to me, if they go through like they take these steps or it’s a kind of a hassle,
right? It it means something to me. It’s like, okay, they kind of believe in this a little bit. Even though it’s a low upside play, they believe in it to a certain extent. So that’s kind of
but it’s such a weird like I don’t expect this to happen, but it would be kind of interesting. By the way, the downloads, it’s always about the downloads. All right, thanks for listening. Make sure you check out the episode I did with Sean. We ranked the top 10. Well, he did. He ranked the top 10 undrafted finds in Miami
Heat history. We’ll have more episodes as they come. They are still trying to move Rosier. We’ll see what happens with Wiggins. We’ll break in if anything happens. Have a good one, everybody.
Thank you for listening to the five on the floor on the five reason sports network. After all, someone needs to listen to my dad.

Dame Lillard is available now, and still likes the idea of coming to the Miami Heat. But is it too late for that? Does it make sense to stash him for a season, even at a friendly contract? Ethan Skolnick and Alex Toledo go back to an old topic, that has new circumstances.

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