IN THE LANE

DONE DEAL: So what does Kyle Lowry think about Caleb Martin returning to the Heat on a three-year, $20.5 million free-agency deal? The veteran point guard offered his reaction, in a lighthearted manner, ahead of competing in this weekend’s American Century Championship celebrity golf event in Lake Tahoe.“Nobody care about Caleb,” Lowry first said with a smile of his teammate. “No, congratulations Caleb. Him and his brother [Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin], they both earned their contracts. And I was just super excited for those guys. I’m very happy for those guys. I’m very proud of both of them. For Caleb, you know, he’s just got to continue to get better. But, like the money, get better every year.”

DOUBLE DUTY: With Omer Yurtseven, Haywood Highsmith, first-round pick Nikola Jovic and recently signed undrafted free agent Orlando Robinson with the Heat in Las Vegas, it has allowed Malik Allen to double-dip to a degree in his dual roles as summer-league coach and big-men assistant for Erik Spoelstra during the season. “I don’t really want to put too much into that,”Allen said.“I think just for myself, personally, it’s not like you’re coaching big-man camp for summer league. It’s obviously more holistic. I think those guys, in watching them, in terms of how our frontcourt plays, you start to see pick-and-rolls, how they fit, what their strengths can be, where to help them get to where they’re trying to go. For sure, it does help in terms of their learning, their teaching curve, their development curve, is the best way to put it.”

CLASSY ENDING: As was the case when his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks ended last summer just days after winning a championship, P.J. Tucker remained classy to the end after a Heat tenure that ended two months ago in the Eastern Conference finals. After signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tucker posted on Instagram, “What a year. True underdogs that really got it out the mud and went against all odds. Miami you will forever be my home and Heat nation, I can’t thank you guys enough for the love you’ve shown all year. Though our journey together has come to an end, the love will forever remain the same.”

NEXT MAN UP: A year ago, Kendrick Nunn left the Heat in free agency for the last of the Los Angeles Lakers salary-cap exceptions, winding up missing the entire season due to injury. Now there is another South Florida connection at play in the same circumstance, with former University of Miami guard Lonnie Walker IV somewhat surprisingly granted the Lakers’ mid-level exception. Like Nunn, Walker saw his qualifying offer pulled by his previous team during free agency, left to move on from the San Antonio Spurs. For Walker, 23, playing time could come down to whether the Lakers land Kyrie Irving. For now, he is soaking in the Lakers’ championship aura. “Just seeing the trophies upstairs,” he said upon his introduction, “I kid you not, I was sweating for the first 10 minutes of looking at it.” He said there was no ill will as the Spurs moved in a different direction,“It kind of seemed like I wasn’t part of that restart, refresh movement, which is perfectly fine.”

MOVING ON: Even after winning the 2022 championship with the Golden State Warriors and with the opportunity to then cash in on his free agency, former Heat center Nemanja Bjelica decided to play this coming season in Turkey. It is a move by the Serbian big man made with the begrudging approval of Warriors forward Draymond Green.“I’m a little hurt by this one,”Green said on his podcast.“I had an opportunity to create a really great relationship with Beli and one that, quite frankly, will last further than him or myself playing basketball. But for Beli, I think this was more of a family move than necessarily a business move. Beli has two young children, and to be closer to his family.” Green added, “It sucks for us, it definitely sucks for us, because I thought his versatility and what he brought to the floor for us, another playmaker on the court and then obviously the way he stretches the floor, I thought that was really good for us.”