**Q: Ira, it looks like Ja Morant has had enough of Memphis. No one is better at buying low than Pat Riley. What say you?
— Anderson**
A: What I say is that Ja Morant these days seems to be a shell of himself, not the explosive presence who initially took the league by storm and gained more than passing Heat interest over the years.
I’m not sure taking on his $39.4 million salary for this season is the way to go, especially considering he is also due $42.2 million next season and then $44.9 million in 2027-28 on the final year of his contract.
At this stage, Norman Powell looks like a better value, as does Tyler Herro’s current deal (at least until the summer’s extension window).
Should the Heat still look for value plays on the market? Certainly. But there would appear to be better values than a now-suspended 6-2 guard who mustered only 12 points in the Grizzlies’ recent loss to the Heat.
—
**Q: So Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell are giving away our plays now on TV?
— Eddy**
A: Friday night’s sample of the Heat’s offense on Amazon Prime’s outstanding studio coverage hardly was a classified secret. The Grizzlies ran similar sets at the start of last season.
Any time you can educate fans about what is going on, the greater the overall appreciation of the game.
Heck, if you want to “rat out” anyone, you also had Heat executive Udonis Haslem on the studio court demonstrating this season’s sets.
—
**Q: What’s the Heat’s realistic plan for Vladislav Goldin this season? Do you see him getting actual minutes behind Bam Adebayo, or is this year mostly about G League development? And based on what you’ve seen or heard, how do the coaches view his upside—more as a long-term project or someone who could crack the rotation sooner?
— David, Miami**
A: Well, we now have our answer, with Vlad Goldin so far the lone Heat two-way player shipped off to the G League.
The question is whether G League work, against mostly undersized centers, will provide the opportunity to show the needed added agility to truly gain a foothold in the NBA.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/02/ask-ira-is-it-time-for-the-heat-to-again-explore-the-ja-morant-possibility/
