ASK IRA: Did Heat’s Duncan Robinson trade prove to be win-win for all involved?
Q: Is Duncan Robinson’s success a knock on Erik Spoelstra’s coaching? – Bob, Davie. A: No, it’s actually a credit to Erik Spoelstra’s coaching, for developing such a prospect who similarly thrived at times with the Heat.
The decision for the Heat was whether to pay Duncan Robinson $20 million for this season, or try to get off some of the otherwise guaranteed $10 million owed for this past ...
Q: Is Duncan Robinson’s success a knock on Erik Spoelstra’s coaching? – Bob, Davie. A: No, it’s actually a credit to Erik Spoelstra’s coaching, for developing such a prospect who similarly thrived at times with the Heat.
The decision for the Heat was whether to pay Duncan Robinson $20 million for this season, or try to get off some of the otherwise guaranteed $10 million owed for this past season if they had waived him prior to this past season. Therefore, the sign-and-trade and move for the less-expensive Simone Fontecchio. Whereas the Heat would have owed Duncan $20 million for 2025–26 had he stayed, the Pistons have him at $16.
8 million this season, with nothing more than $2 million guaranteed beyond. Then there are the development questions, including whether it would have benefited the Heat this past season to have retained Duncan and played him ahead of the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jt. and Pelle Larsson.