East Notes: Heat, Tyler Herro, Hawks, Celtics

Heat

Guard Tyler Herro was the subject of multiple trade rumors but remains with the Heat, and suggested he wasn’t bothered by any of it.

“It’s funny, but everyone has their opinion,” he told Couper Moorhead of Heat.com. “The only people that really know are the ones in the front offices making the trades and ultimately deciding whose value is what. I feel like I’m pretty damn valuable. I don’t know. I feel like I’m valuable as hell. At the end of the day, I’m going to show that this season and hopefully by the end of the season I’m going to be in the same boat as (Bam Adebayo).”

• Coach Erik Spoelstra has been non-committal on a starter at point guard. “(Kyle Lowry) is one of the great quarterbacks and quarterback minds in this league and he’s critical to what we do,” Spoelstra said. “(Josh Richardson) has been playing some there, just trying to get him re-acclimated to a little more of the role that he played with us previously. And Dru Smith is quietly or not so quietly had a very good camp. He’s improved considerably.”

Hawks

The Hawks are hopeful center Onyeka Okongwu can expand his offensive game this season, coach Quin Snyder told reporters.

 “Some of the things that he’s working on whether it’s a corner three or dribble handoff, taking the ball and driving, there’s some situations he’s in, they’re new to him, but he’s also very capable in those situations,” Snyder said, via Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, when you see him, drive baseline, throw a left-hand pass along the baseline, he can do that stuff. It’s just got to become instinctive and that takes time but he’s putting in the work.” 

• Atlanta will need to replace the traded John Collins at power forward. We have more on that here.

Celtics

After landing the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, and signing Jaylen Brown to a contract extension, the Celtics are projected to be over the second tax apron for years to come.

But they don’t seem too worried about it, team owner Wyc Grousbeck suggested, via to Souchi Terada of MassLive.com.

“We haven’t blinked at all,” Grousbeck said. “I was part of the committee that put the aprons in place with the players committee and we’re aware of all that. We’re going to be over the second (apron), I believe, and paying those penalties and that’s the way life is. But it’s designed also we can have more competition in the league, and we’re fine with competition, as long as we win.”

• The one-year contracts for both center/forward Wenyen Gabriel and Lamar Stevens are non-guaranteed, per reports. So both have shot at making the team, but their spots aren’t for certain.