Sun Sentinel44%
ASK IRA: Is there something to be read in the Heat’s delay in moving on from the LeBron decision? 4%
By Ira Winderman30%
8/2/2026, 3:05:38 AM
Topics: Sports, Basketball
BS Summary: This article contains 5 faulty reasoning types, including Overconfidence Bias, Hindsight Bias, and False Dilemma, with Confirmation Bias as the most egregious example at 8.4% saturation with 31 hits. Analysis detected 121 faulty-reasoning hits from 367 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 13.6% and a BS Rank of 4% (24,315 of 25,253 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 96.30% of the article peer group.
Q: Ira, the Heat were eager to get LeBron James and now it feels like they didn’t have a Plan B.
Where was the plan for the pivot? – Matt.
A: The plan was and is the same: When opportunity knocks, be prepared to answer the door.
So as long as LeBron James was an option, the Heat waited.
And that could be the case with the next major domino comes into play.
That, for example, might – or might not – be Zach LaVine.
In each case, you do your research, you make your level of interest known and hope that you have established enough rapport with the player's agency that you are kept in the loop.
But also, do not get caught up solely in free agents, or even potential free agents.
Exception money also can be utilized in trades.
Q: Ira, I liked Gary Payton Jr. as a defensive option.
And the Heat always are interested in reunions, as I think you wrote with LeBron James. – Zip.
A: But, again, it comes down to assessing the overall player pool.
As it is, the Heat likely only have two open spots on their standard roster, unlikely to go to the maximum of 15 until later in the season.
So it comes down to whether you assess a player such as Gary Payton Jr. as the best use of one of those roster spots.
The exception would be a player willing to take a non-guaranteed deal, which then would afford an evaluation period.
For now, the Heat's version of Gary Payton Jr. remains Dru Smith.
Q: The Heat made a deal with Channel 10 to broadcast all the Heat games in Miami-Dade, Monroe and Broward counties.
Are there any plans to add Palm Beach County to that list? – Bill, Palm Beach Gardens.
A: There are, but the Heat have not made such an announcement yet.
It would be highly unlikely that the Heat would bypass the Palm Beach market, considering the potential advertising dollars that could be at stake, not to mention the marketing avenues.
Analysis
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