ASK IRA: Will Dalton Knecht prove to be the one that got away from the Heat in the 2024 NBA draft?

Q: Dalton Knecht was this year’s Jaime Jaquez Jr.. Both were four-year college players who won their Conference Player of the Year award. Both were regarded as ready-to-play, plug in players. The fact that the Heat hit on Jamie and here they have a similar opportunity fall to them, really makes you wonder. They saw something in Jamie that others did not. You would have thought this would have been perfect for them. Did we like Kel’el Ware that much? – Kristopher, Oceanside, Calif.

A: I, too, was surprised both that Dalton Knecht was available at No. 15 and that the Heat bypassed that option. It would be ironic that if the Lakers, who bypassed Jaime Jaquez Jr. last year one pick before the Heat, this time would wind up with the advantage on the Heat, taking Dalton two picks Wednesday night after the Heat. While I could see concerns about overlap with Tyler Herro, and perhaps even Terry Rozier, the Heat do nothing but insist they go for the best player available, and not positional or roster fit. So, in that regard, that must have had Kel’el Ware ranked ahead of Dalton, even though Kel’el also appears to be the better positional fit.

Q: My only concern is will Erik Spoelstra trust  Kel’el Ware to start him at center? And would that push Tyler Herro into a sixth-man role?  – Swann.

A: First, No. 15 picks hardly are automatically assumed to be starters. Tyler Herro, a No. 13 pick, began his Heat career as a reserve, as did Bam Adebayo, a No. 14 pick. For that matter, so did Jaime Jaquez Jr. last year as a No. 18. For now, we have to see how free agency shakes out with Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith, as well as whether Nikola Jovic remains a starter. As for Tyler, it wouldn’t be Kel’el pushing him out of the starting unit, but rather whether Erik Spoelstra opts to start with Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and perhaps the 3-point spacing of Duncan Robinson as his perimeter rotation.

Q: Ira, I love Haywood Highsmith for all he has accomplished and persevered past. But the Heat can’t overpay after not going the distance last year in free agency with better players Max Strus and Gabe Vincent. – Theo.

A: But it also is about timing and need. Last year was last year, and you can’t chase mistakes, if you believe that indeed might have been the case with the departures of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent. Now not only is there a different cap situation, but also the possibility of losing Caleb Martin in free agency. So, therefore, the approach with Haywood Highsmith ultimately will be determined by the calculus of the moment, not in reflection of last summer’s free agency.