NEW YORK _ An argument certainly could be made that the Miami Heat are in a better place than anticipated as next weekend's midpoint of the season approaches, Friday night's collapse in Brooklyn notwithstanding. That also puts them in a better place than expected less than a month away from the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline.
And, yet, charged with both living in the moment (a Heat way of life for the coaching staff) and maintaining a long view (a necessity for the front office), dual realities remain in play.
So while Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo aren't going anywhere, while James Johnson and Dion Waiters assuredly wouldn't be accepted anywhere other than as cap filler, and while Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro have cap-friendly contracts, there are plenty of contrasting perspectives in play elsewhere for Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg, Adam Simon, Nick Arison and the Heat coaching staff.
