Bryant, Love discuss the summer surprises that involved them. And Jaquez addresses starting

The Heat made two notable decisions at backup center during the offseason, committing two years (instead of one) to 36-year-old Kevin Love and re-signing Thomas Bryant despite already having Love and rookie Kel’El Ware behind Bam Adebayo.

Both players offered insight on those decisions this week.

With Bryant, it has been largely assumed that he was asked to opt out of a contract that would have paid him $2.8 million, with the promise that he could come back at that salary if he found no better offers elsewhere.

Even though Bryant re-signed for the same $2.8 million salary that he opted out of, that move saved the Heat $700,000 against the salary cap and luxury tax, because salaries on one-year contracts count at the two-year minimum salary of $2.1 million.

Had Bryant not opted out, his full $2.8 million salary would have counted against the cap and tax.

And yet Bryant continues to adamantly deny there was ever such an understanding.

While it behooved the Heat to have Bryant opt out with the promise of re-signing him, Bryant insists the Heat never asked him to opt out, even though it would violate no NBA rules to admit that such an option was presented to him.

“I know it seemed that way but it wasn’t the case at all,” Bryant said. “They basically said: ‘we know you have options and we want you to be able to look at those.’ They said ‘we would love to have you back here and from the top down, everybody loves what you’ve done here and see the work you put in and everyone wants you around.’ But there wasn’t any promise they would re-sign me.”

Bryant said the Heat made one thing clear when he informed them he was opting out: “There was a deadline to re-sign. They said, ‘don’t take too long.’”

So if the Heat never promised to re-sign him – as Bryant strongly insists – was there a risk in opting out? “Of course,” he said. “There were some options but for comfortability, the Heat” was his best option.

It’s quite conceivable, if not likely, that the Heat could have conveyed a preference for Bryant to opt out, and then re-sign for tax/cap purposes, to his agent Mark Bartelstein without Bryant needing to be involved in that aspect of the decision.

The only reason this is notable now? Because there might have been greater value using that 14th roster spot on another wing defender (to replace Caleb Martin) or another natural power forward or another point guard instead of a player who could ultimately be the Heat’s No. 4 center.

Though Bryant was out of the rotation more than he was in the rotation last season, Heat president Pat Riley told the Miami Herald last October that he was bullish on the Bryant signing. So the organization values him, and he did have some good moments at times last season.

As for Love, the Heat believed there has been no significant skill diminishment after 16 years in the league and believed a two-year, $8 million deal was warranted. He will make $3.85 million this season and $4.15 million next season.

Love wasn’t interested in retiring and is eyeing a potential 20-year career, which would be an additional two years beyond this new Heat contract.

“I would love to get to a round number of 20,” he said. “It made a lot of sense to want to be here two more years… I’ve got the best job in the world, to back up Bam.”

Love averaged 18.9 points per 36 minutes last season, his highest total since 2021-22 and well above his 13.9 the previous season.

His 13.2 rebounds per 36 minutes last season were his highest since 2018-19.

He was very effective playing 16.8 minutes per game last season, down from 20 the previous season.

“I feel really good, fresh, fleet of foot,” he said. “I don’t feel I’m necessarily in the UD [Udonis Haslem mentorship] role, where he was late in his career.”

The question is whether Ware plays ahead of both Love and Bryant at any point this season.

“You see the potential, all the tools he has,” Love said of Ware. “And how he can affect the team in the short-term and the long-term.”

Love, who went fifth in the 2008 Draft to Minnesota (via Memphis), said it was “emotional for me” to see Derrick Rose retire this week. Rose was the top pick in that draft. “We had a 20-year relationship.”

THIS AND THAT

Does it matter to Jaime Jaquez Jr. if he ends up a starter this season?

“Obviously, you want to be a starter,” he said. “But I had a lot of fun coming off the bench. Not saying I don’t want to be a starter.”

Improving his three-pointer has been an offseason priority. Jaquez shot 32.2 percent (65 for 202) on threes as a rookie.

The three-pointer “is going to be very critical,” he said. “I’m going to have to knock down shots.”

The fifth starting job could go to incumbent Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith or Jaquez. The Heat, which continues training camp in the Bahamas this week, opens preseason next Tuesday in Charlotte.

“I just want to be playing,” Highsmith said. “I want to impact winning, whether starting or coming off the bench.”

▪ Regarding the neck injury that sidelined him late last season, Terry Rozier said doctors have told him it’s “nothing to be too concerned with.”