Goren Bridge

Heat wanted to acquire veteran forward in the past

Tim Seres, the legendary Australian player, makes his second appearance this week in this space. He was South, in today’s deal.

His aggressive bidding style found him in a contract that could have been defeated several ways, but Seres made a subtle play that gave him a chance to bring it home.

He won the opening heart lead in dummy. Most players would lead a club at trick two, but Seres led a low diamond instead. East rose with his king and shifted to the 10 of clubs, “surrounding” dummy’s nine and preventing that card from possibly becoming important. Seres played his jack, losing to the ace with West. A diamond to the ace and the diamond jack continuation left Seres in the driver’s seat. He ruffed the diamond, cashed the king of clubs, and began to run his trumps. This was the position with one trump remaining:

Void

72

On the last heart, West had to discard a spade to keep the queen of diamonds. Dummy could now part with the 10 of diamonds and East had to discard a spade to keep the queen of clubs. Seres led a spade to the queen and cashed two more spades for 10 tricks.

Given his reputation for circling back to those previously chased, Miami Heat President Pat Riley finds himself positioned to potentially do the same with San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

A Heat free-agent target in 2015 and a Heat trade target at other times over his career, Aldridge has reached an agreement to step aside from the Spurs while the team works on relocating the 35-yearold outside-shooting veteran.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich revealed the approach with Aldridge prior to San Antonio’s Wednesday night game against the Dallas Mavericks.

“He’s been a great teammate. No problem there,” Popovich said. “We just think this is a win-win for both LaMarcus and the club. When an opportunity arises, that’ll be up to management, his agent and that sort of thing, and we’ll all move forward.”

Riley met with Aldridge during the 2015 free-agency period, encouraging the 6-foot-11 forward to consider taking a shorter-term deal at a time the Heat lacked salary-cap space. Aldridge instead signed a four-year, $84 million free-agent contract with the Spurs, leaving the Portland Trail Blazers. He then re-upped with the Spurs on a two-year, $50 million extension with the Spurs that pays $24 million this season, his contract expiring at season’s end.

At the 2019 All-Star Game, Aldridge was asked about his meeting with Riley.

“Sitting down with Pat Riley was like being in a 007 movie,” Aldridge said, “because he’s like next level. He has everything thought out. He’s very well spoken. He carries himself a little bit different. It was kind of different. He’s such a good talker that he could sell you on something that you might not be OK with. So I had to make sure I was listening well. But it was fun. It was an honor to sit down with him.”

The Heat have struggled with their power rotation this season, with Moe Harkless unable to gain traction in the rotation after being acquired in free agency as a potential replacement for Jae Crowder, who left in the offseason for the Phoenix Suns. In addition, coach Erik Spoelstra has not been playing Udonis Haslem and Chris Silva, with rookie Precious Achiuwa uneven at times, and veteran Meyers Leonard out for the season following shoulder surgery, away from the team after uttering an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming video-game play.

That has left the Heat mostly relying on Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo, who has been dealing with knee soreness lately, currently sidelined by tendinitis.

In an Instagram video on his personal site, ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the former Brooklyn Nets executive, advised a cautious approach for the Heat amid Aldridge’s uneven play this season, while also noting the Spurs only have a single available roster spot.

“Do you want to get Kelly Olynyk?” Marks said. “I personally believe that Olynyk is a better player than LaMarcus Aldridge right now. But if you take Olynyk out of the equation, you’re looking at guys like Meyers Leonard, Avery Bradley, Moe Harkless. Those three players get within the $19 million number [needed to match under the salary cap in a trade], but does that do anything for San Antonio?

“We know what’s going on with Leonard. Bradley’s been hurt. Harkless has been ineffective. If you’re looking just to save money, then maybe that works. But that’s another thing. It’s a three-for-one type trade where the Spurs don’t have a roster spot.”

If the Spurs are unable to trade Aldridge by the March 25 NBA trading deadline, buyout talks are expected to follow. The Heat have several avenues to add Aldridge by that means.