Time for Heat rumors to stop

Riley should play ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ before it’s too late

CHICAGO — When it comes to the Miami Heat’s restructuring of their future, it could be a case of sell now, buy later.

What this past month has shown, through no fault of his own, is that the Heat are capable of competing at a similar level with Goran Dragic out of the mix.

And what the 4-2 record this season in the absence of Hassan Whiteside has shown is that there are ample workarounds.

In fact, an argument can be made that there is not a single irreplaceable player on this roster.

Granted, for a team building for the future, it certainly is about more than living in the moment.

That element of the equation seemingly would have Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Bam Adebayo as the priorities going forward, although, again, hardly off limits.

Which means ... if there is a way to acquire future flexibility with the remainder of the roster — be it cap flexibility, draft picks or an infusion of youth, then just about everything else should be on the table in advance of the Feb. 7 NBA trading deadline.

Because this team has shown, even beyond Dragic and Whiteside, that it essentially still can be the same team, at least in the short run, even without James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Dion Waiters, Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington and Rodney McGruder.

That doesn’t mean each can’t contribute, it’s just that in the Heat’s current landlocked state, it’s not as if there is an immediate challenge coming to the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. So even if you want to make the argument of the Heat creeping up on the Indiana Pacers, that still would mean no better than a No. 5 playoff seed, and starting the postseason on the road.

That’s not to say that offloading James Johnson, Waiters or Olynyk wouldn’t come without limitations. At best, it could require taking on two-year deals to move beyond the third season that remains on each of those contracts. Hello, Chandler Parsons? Or there could be sweeteners, something along the lines that if you want Ellington and his immediate 3-point impact, can we interest you in an accompanying veteran?

But where the line has to be drawn is at draft picks. What the selections of Winslow, Adebayo and Richardson have shown is that the Heat have been efficient in turning picks into valued contributors and value contracts.

For his part, Erik Spoelstra has tried to mask the warts, in case there might be potential suitors.

So James Johnson continues to be featured as a starter.

And Tyler Johnson as a rotation regular.

All the while, the playing-time disappointment expressed by Whiteside and Waiters is downplayed as professionals eager for more opportunity to ply their craft.

Dragic’s knee issue? The Heat line there is nothing major, with Spoelstra noting this past week, “He’s doing well.”

As for Ellington? Tuesday’s cameo in Milwaukee created an opportunity to show that the next shot could be the 3-pointer needed by a contender.

But, again, it is a zerosum game, with most of the league capped out, save for the few locations with remaining cap space or trade exceptions.

There likely would have to be something coming back, perhaps changing, but not eliminating, the overcrowding.

But the current predicament, even with Dragic out until next month’s All-Star break, remains as untenable as the moment in Milwaukee when Waiters loaded up with his F-bomb.

Pat Riley needs to get the clippers out, needs regroom his team with a necessary trim.

Even if he has to sell now, buy later.

As he walked past after a recent game, Riley turned in this direction and quipped, “Enough with the trade rumors.”

Fair enough. Because it is time to stop the rumors … and start the trades.

NUMBER

Year anniversary the Heat are approaching of their last triple-double, when Hassan Whiteside had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots on Feb. 5, 2016 against the Charlotte Hornets, the 22nd in the franchise’s 31 seasons.