There was a time when the Miami Heat traveled commercially, with 15 players, three coaches, a trainer _ and plenty of room left on the plane for frequent fliers of all walks.
Eventually Pat Riley arrived, and, like his aura, everything became bigger: team massage therapist, nutritionist, rehab director, security detail, director of basketball administration.
But now, with the new coronavirus pandemic changing the face of sports, a minimalist approach is expected to become the approach of necessity when/if the NBA returns.
According to a league source briefed on the league's evolving return-to-work planning, the hope is to limit each team's traveling party to 35 members, in what is expected to be an isolation situation at a central playing site, in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
For the Heat, the ultimate call on who's in and who's out will come down to Riley, in consultation with the team's and league's medical staffs. The irony is that Riley, who turned 75 in March, is expected to be left to monitor the team from a distance, in South Florida.
Based on Sun Sentinel discussions with those familiar with the Heat's approach, a look at what a 35-person Heat traveling party, upon a resumption of the NBA season at a neutral site, could look like.
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Players
17. The Heat have 15 players under standard contract, all of whom are expected to be healthy upon resumption, which is now, if possible, expected in late July. Center Meyers Leonard, recovering from a severe ankle sprain, has vowed to make it back to the court if play resumes.
The Heat also have two players under two-way contract, forward Kyle Alexander and guard Gabe Vincent. While two-way players, by rule, are not eligible for playoffs, the risk of losing players to illness during a resumption could allow the NBA to adopt an all-in approach.
Alexander's status could be in question, due to the knee issue that cut into his rookie season.
(Leaving behind both two-way players could make the Heat's ultimate math work, as detailed below.)
