[外絮] 熱火隊就 Kyle Lowry 去留可能作出的抉擇

原標題：Heat considering multiple options with Lowry. Where things stand and
what makes sense
(熱火隊正考慮 Lowry 的去留。目前進展如何、哪些作法較為合理？)

來源：https://is.gd/gWT6wf

作者：Barry Jackson

原文＋翻譯：

Kyle Lowry’s Heat contract is due to pay him $29.7 million next season in
the final season of a three-year deal. In reality, Lowry could end up costingthe Heat tens of millions of dollars more than that, because of salary-cap
implications. And that has the Heat considering multiple exit avenues with
the veteran guard.

在來到三年合約的最後一個賽季時，蘿莉在熱火預計將可獲得二千九百七十萬美元的薪資。從現實上來說，由於薪資帽的影響，蘿莉最終可能會令熱火隊多支出數千萬美元。這讓熱火隊開始考慮處理他合約的各種方式。

According to two sources, the Heat has been giving thought to potentially
using the waive-and-stretch provision on Lowry if Miami is unable to trade
him, though a firm decision on that has not been made. That waive-and-stretchmechanism would allocate his remaining cap hit equally over three seasons.

根據兩組消息人士的說法，熱火隊正想著在無法將他交易出去的情況下，儘管尚未作出明確的定案，是否要使用合約中的延伸條款來攤提並裁走蘿莉？這種機制將會在三個賽季間重新平均分配其剩餘薪資。

In other words, if the Heat goes the waive-and-stretch route, Lowry would
have a cap hit of $9.9 million each of the next three seasons instead of
$29.7 million next season, which would be his cap hit otherwise.

換句話說，如果熱火隊決定使用延伸條款來攤提並裁走，蘿莉在未來三年的薪資上限將各達九百九十萬美元，而不是單一賽季的二千九百七十萬美元（即他一年的薪資上限）。

The upshot of that: Miami’s 2023-24 salary cap commitments would shrink from
$178.5 million to $158.5 million, below the $165 million tax line and the
$182.5 million second apron, a threshold that carries significant
restrictions, including the inability to sign buyout players who were making
more than $12 million from the team that released them. That extra
flexibility could allow the Heat to re-sign guard Gabe Vincent in the days
ahead without paying an enormous tax.

好處：

熱火隊的2023-24 薪資帽承諾將從現有的 1.785 億美元降低至 1.585 億美元。如此一來，將能在低於兩層硬上限的情況下，不必面對無法簽下原薪資超過120 萬美元之球員的命運。這種額外的伸縮性，也可以讓熱火在不必另外繳付巨額稅務的情況下，重新簽下後衛Gabe Vincent。

The downside of waiving and stretching Lowry: The $9.9 million cap hits in
2024-25 and 2025-26 would be burdensome, especially because the particularly
onerous restrictions of surpassing the second apron take effect a year from
now. That option will be moot if the Heat includes Lowry in a potential tradefor Portland guard Damian Lillard — who has not asked for a trade — or
another transaction. But the decision must be made this summer, because the
waive-and-stretch provision can only be used before Sept. 1.

壞處：

2024-25 賽季和2025-26 賽季的990 萬美元薪資上限將形成一個負擔，特別是在超過第二層硬上限時，特別繁重的限制將從現在起一年後生效的情況下。如果熱火隊將蘿莉納入尚未要求交易的拓荒者後衛小李之潛在交易中，這一選擇將失去意義。但這個決定必須在今年夏天做出，因為延伸條款只能在九月一日前使用。

If the Heat keeps Lowry beyond Sept. 1, Miami would need to hope that his
contract could be parlayed into assets, perhaps at next February’s trade
deadline should he remain on the roster that long. At this past season’s
trade deadline, the Lakers appreciably upgraded their team by parlaying
Russell Westbrook’s expiring contract — the one that paid him $47 million
last season — into three helpful rotation players.

如果熱火隊決定在九月一日後，繼續留住蘿莉，熱火隊將必須希望他的合約能在明年二月的交易大限前，在他到時仍留在球隊班底的前提下，可以轉換成為交易資產。在上賽季的交易大限時，湖人隊透過將上賽季支出4700萬美元薪資、當時合約即將到期的威少換成三位板凳球員的方式，升級其球隊。

With D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley averaging 17.4 and 11.1 points per
game, respectively, after their acquisition, and Jarred Vanderbilt
contributing 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds, the Lakers had the needed depth to
ride LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the Western Conference finals, where
they were swept by Denver. (Rui Hachimura, also acquired before the trade
deadline in a different deal, also helped.)

D'Lo和Malik Beasley在被交易進來後，平均每場得到17.4分和11.1分，Jarred Vanderb-ilt也能貢獻7.2分和6.7個籃板。在此情況下，湖人有所需的板凳深度，來驅動LBJ和AD進入西部決賽，但最終卻被金塊橫掃。（在交易截止日期前，透過其他交易獲得的八村壘，也是如此。）

The path that would most benefit the Heat — aside from Lowry being used in a
Lillard deal — would be finding a team that has the cap space to absorb Lowry’s contract while sending the Heat a lesser player making much less money.
That path seems unlikely because the teams with cap space seemingly could usetheir space on more appealing options than Lowry. Five teams have more than
$30 million in cap space: Houston at $60.9 million, San Antonio at $38.6
million, Sacramento at $35.6 million, Indiana at $32.2 million and Detroit at$30 million.

除了將蘿莉用於小李的交易之外，最有利於熱火隊的途徑是找到一支有薪資空間的球隊來吸收蘿莉的合約，同時給熱火隊送去一個能減少薪資支出的球員。這條途徑似乎不太可能，因為有薪資空間的球隊可能會用在於比蘿莉更有吸引力的選擇。有五支球隊的薪資空間超過了3000萬美元：火箭有6090萬美元，馬刺有3860萬美元，國王有3560萬美元，溜馬有3220萬美元，活塞有3000萬美元。

（下面是在不使用延伸條款的情況下，其他可能可以跟進蘿莉薪資的球隊，本文不翻譯）

If the Heat doesn’t include Lowry in a trade involving Lillard — and if
Miami bypasses using the waive-and-stretch provision on him by the end of
August — here would be some teams that hypothetically could be a match for
Lowry under certain circumstances:

- Los Angeles Clippers: Power forwards Marcus Morris (due $17.1 million) and
Robert Covington ($11.7 million) would be a cap match for Lowry if the
Clippers want a veteran point guard. This would make sense if the Heat gets
Lillard, especially if Caleb Martin is sacrificed in the deal. But the Heat
likely would need to throw in a sweetener for the Clippers to consider. The
Heat also could give the Clippers tax relief by taking the last two years of
Terance Mann’s deal ($10.5 million, $11.4 million).

- Utah: There’s no reason to think the Jazz would try to move off the
reasonable money due Lauri Markkanen, who had a breakout season last year andis due $17.2 million and $18 million the next two seasons. Utah is reportedlytrying to move point guard Colin Sexton’s contract, but this would be worth
considering for Miami only if the Heat cannot land Lillard. Flipping Lowry
for Sexton (due $17.3 million, $18.1 million, $18.9 million) and Kelly Olynyk($12.2 in an expiring deal) would work. But Utah’s willingness to take only
Lowry would depend on how eager the Jazz is to dump Sexton’s contract.
Sexton, a 6-1 swing guard, averaged 24.3 points and shot 37.1 percent on
threes in 35.3 minutes per game while making 60 starts for Cleveland two
seasons ago. Last season, he averaged 14.3 points and 23.9 minutes and shot
39.3 percent on threes in 48 games, including 15 starts.

- Toronto: There remains mutual affection and respect between Lowry and the
Raptors. If the Heat cannot get Lillard, it would be worth exploring the
possibility of flipping Lowry and other assets (a first-round pick or Nikola
Jovic) for 6-5 swingman Gary Trent Jr. (17.4 point per game last season) and
power forward Chis Boucher. The salaries line up almost perfectly; Trent willmake $18.6 million in an expiring deal and Boucher $11.7 million. The Raptors’ incentive? If Toronto determines it cannot or does not want to extend
Trent and if it wants to get out of Boucher’s $10.6 million in 2024-25.
Boucher averaged 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds last season. He shoots threes
but not at a great percentage; he’s 270 for 908 (33.4 percent) in his
career. Former Heat player Precious Achiuwa also could be an option in this
scenario.

- San Antonio: There are several permutations that could be built around
Lowry’s money, but the Heat would need to motivate the Spurs with draft
picks and/or Jokic or perhaps Martin. Such a package could be built around
swing forward Doug McDermott (on a $13.7 million expiring/10.3 points per
game and 41.3 percent on threes last season) and point guard DeVonte Graham,
who’s due $12.1 million and $12.6 million the next two seasons.

- Indiana: If the Pacers want to rebuild, a package starting with Lowry and
Oladipo’s expiring contracts would be enough – from a cap standpoint - to
land Myles Turner (due $20.9 million and $19.9 million) and Buddy Hield, who’s on an expiring deal worth $19.2 million. But from a value standpoint,
Indiana would seek far more. If the Lillard pursuit doesn’t materialize, a
case could be made to offer Lowry, Oladipo, Jokic and multiple first-round
picks for that Turner/Hield package. But Indiana likely would be disinclined
to give up on the 2023-24 season before it even starts. And Herro would have
no value to Indiana, with Bennedict Mathurin coming off a very good rookie
season.

If the Pacers start the season poorly, this is one team worth monitoring if
Lowry remains on the Heat’s roster past August. Beyond Lowry, the
sign-and-stretch mechanism also remains an option for Oladipo, whose $9.5
million cap hit could be split instead into $3.1 million cap charges the nextthree seasons.

NOTABLE

其他重點

The Heat extended qualifying offers to forward Jamal Cain and center Orlando
Robinson, who finished the season on two-way contracts. Both Cain and Robinsonwill play for the Heat’s summer league team next month. The qualifying offersmake Cain and Robinson restricted free agents and gives the Heat the right tomatch outside offers for either player. The Heat could give them two-way
contracts again or sign them to standard contracts, a decision that hasn't
been made.

熱火隊已經為以雙向合約結束上賽季的 Jamal Cain 和 Orlando Robinson 提供合格報價，他們將在下個月出戰夏季聯賽。他們也可以考慮再次提供雙向合約，或以一般合約留住他們，但迄今為止，他們尚未作出任何決定。

＊根據 Bobby Marks 的說法，他們都擁有鳥權，因此可以在薪資帽之上續約

The Heat must decide by Thursday whether to extend a $2.3 million qualifying
offer to center Omer Yurtseven, a move that would make him a restricted free
agent and give the Heat the ability to match outside offers.

同時熱火隊必須在星期四決定，是否要為中鋒 Omer Yurtseven 提供二百三十萬美元的合格報價，這樣就能讓他成為受限制自由球員、並給予熱火跟進其他球隊報價的可能性。

短評：

豪華稅的問題，不知何時了... (？)

另外在其他報導中，該記者也提到，熱火隊正在「耐心等待」小李作出決定，而老闆 PatRiley 將在自由市場開始前，到南加州與他會面。

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