IN THE LANE

FINAL ACCOUNTING: With the Rockets’ trade of Victor Oladipo to the Heat, save for any impending Houston buyouts, the final accounting is in on the trade of James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Ultimately, the Rockets wind up with Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Dante Exum (with each a potential buyout candidate), three unprotected first-round picks from Brooklyn (2022, ’24, ’26), an unprotected first-round pick from Milwaukee (‘23), four potential first-round pick swaps with Brooklyn

(2021, ’23, ’25, ’27) and a potential first-round pick swap with the Heat

(2022). The pick swap with the Heat would be the worst of the firstround spots in that draft of the Nets, Heat and Rockets. So it most likely would have the Heat drafting in Brooklyn’s 2022 draft position. As a matter of perspective, based on the current standings, if the swap was this season, the Heat would drop from No. 15 in the first round to No. 26. The swap is lottery protected. If the Heat are in the ‘22 lottery, then the Heat will instead send a second-round pick in 2022 to Houston, with the first-round element extinguished.

MICHIGAN MADNESS: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said March Madness has turned into a Michigan thing for the Heat, with former Heat player and assistant coach Juwan Howard now leading the Wolverines. “Absolutely love it,” Spoelstra said, with Michigan to face Florida State in Sunday’s Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. “I mean, I feel like I went to Michigan. We’re like such Michigan fans now. We have a couple of people on the staff that went to Michigan. Duncan [Robinson] went to Michigan. We talked about Michigan so long with Juwan, we always used to show the Fab Five documentary to our teams or at least have it in the background at team meetings and stuff. He’s just done a tremendous job.” Spoelstra said it’s personal. “I think everybody knows how I feel about Juwan. I love him. I think that he’s a great coach, but a great human being. And I think that’s why you’re seeing such a great connection between he and his players as a head coach. He really gets people. He knows how to communicate, knows how to connect. So it’s fun. I typically don’t really get into the Tournament in the early rounds. And right now, I feel like I’m just way too on edge.”

FITTING EXAMPLE: During his team’s visit to AmericanAirlines Arena, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams offered an example of how former Heat forward Jae Crowder has had an influence on his team that transcends the court.“He has a way about him that allows for him to connect with a lot of people,” Williams said ahead of the Suns’ victory over the Heat. “The example I give of Jae is that typically guys shoot at the same basket with the same groups of guys every day. Jae’s the one the guy that I’ve seen that will go around the gym and shoot with different groups. And I think it speaks to his ability to connect with people, whether it’s shooting with younger guys, shooting with his normal group. He’s always finding authentic ways to spend time with his teammates, and that leads to a speed-up process in the connection when you come to a new team.”

TYLER TIME: Amid the Brooklyn Nets’ injuries has come a revival from former Heat guard Tyler Johnson. “Tyler’s a winner,” Nets coach Steve Nash said.“He competes, he fights, he plays hard, he sticks his nose in there defensively. He leaves it all on the floor. We knew he can shoot. We thought he was a guy who can get hot and he’s not afraid, but he’s been really consistent with it this year.” Of his setup, Johnson said, “I haven’t really ever had James Harden and Kyrie Irving passing me the ball and taking so much attention with them. It’s kind of easy shooting open shots.”

NUMBER

6. Heat players with Nigerian ancestry, with Victor Oladipo (parents emigrated from Nigeria) joining Bam Adebayo (father from Nigeria), Gabe Vincent (member of Nigerian national team), Precious Achiuwa (born in Port Harcourt), Andre Iguodala (father is Nigerian) and KZ Okpala (parents are Nigerian).