IN THE LANE

REVISIONIST HISTORY: During a recent appearance on the Point Forward podcast hosted by former Heat forward Andre Iguodala and former NBA player Evan Turner, Heat icon Dwyane Wade spoke of regret over leaving money on the table over his playing career.“It was definitely tough, in a lot of different ways. I think I gave up $17 [million] or $20 million,” said Wade, who is now part of the Utah Jazz ownership group. “Now, as someone who’s on the other side, I didn’t have to give that money up. I could have pushed the envelope a little bit more. I could have made them spread a little bit of that bread. There was a lot of things that at the time, as a player, you really didn’t know. You just know that this is what they said needs to be done, and this is what we want to do.” Except . . . in order to make many of the Heat’s financials work at the 2010 start of the Big Three era, considering they were utilizing a finite amount of cap space at the time, among the sacrifices were not only helping maximize the contracts of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, but also making sure there was cap space for Wade friend Udonis Haslem and an ability to meet James’ desire to add Mike Miller. So, yes, Wade could have come out with more financially, but possibly less on his roster and on the championship ledger.

ONE UP: In Heat vs. Mavericks, Dallas again has the latest leg up, this time when it comes to honoring a franchise icon, with a Dirk Nowitzki statue already in the works at American Airlines Center. The Heat, by contrast, have yet to announce any such plans for Wade at FTX Arena, with both icons having retired in 2019. In an interview with Bleacher Report, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban offered his thoughts on such honors. “You have to stay there,” he said, with Nowizki’s entire 21-season NBA career spent with the Mavericks. “It’s about being there, being a superstar, leading the team to a championship and being there for an extended period of time. That’s key. It’s not just about what you do on the court. It’s about what you do in the community. It’s about being part of the fabric of an organization during and after your playing time. Dirk exemplifies that.”Wade, of course, also could have stayed, had contract negotiations with the Heat not gone sideways, leading to detours with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers.

HERE, TOO: When it comes to the season-ending foot injury that Oklahoma City Thunder first-round pick Chet Holmgren sustained in a summer pro-am game in Seattle, it rekindled memories of something closer to home for a South Florida product in a similar circumstance. In 2017, while playing in a Miami summer pro-am similar to the one Bam Adebayo recently participated in, Pine Crest product Brandon Knight suffered a season-ending knee injury. The NBA clears participation in such summer events, with salary not put at risk. Knight, who has battled through a series of injuries, went on to play parts of two seasons after sitting out all of 2017-18, and spent last season with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He would have been called up to the Heat during the team’s COVID outbreak last December had he not been injured at the time, instead getting into five games with the Mavericks as an emergency call-up during their COVID outbreak.

OPPORTUNITY LOST: Had the decision not been made to instead allow Nikola Jovic acclimate to the NBA, it is possible that the 19-year-old Heat first-round pick might have found himself with playing time for Serbia’s national team at the ongoing EuroBasket. The Serbian roster was depleted this past week with former Heat big man Nemanja Bjelica ruled out due to a calf injury. The Serbian federation initially said the Heat barred Jovic from the competition, but it was later confirmed that it was a mutual decision between the Serbian staff, Heat management, Jovic and Jovic’s representation. Heat camp opens nine days after the Sept. 18 conclusion of EuroBasket 22.

NUMBER 6

Teams over the past five seasons for Markieff Morris, who left the Heat this past week in NBA free agency. His signing with the Brooklyn Nets follows his time since the start of 2018-19 with the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers and Heat.