Miami Heat Dangle Luol Deng in Trade, Begin Preparations to Tank

This photo screams:

Dwyane Wade: “We good.”

Erik Spoelstra: “Check please.”

It’s nearly over, Miami. The Heat appear to be on the verge of a business decision – trade Luol Deng to the Memphis Grizzlies (or someone else) and throw in the towel on the 2014-2015 season.

The Heat have had a few injuries so far – Josh McRoberts, an offseason pickup is done for the year – and are 15-21. They opened a 5-games in 8-nights West Coast road trip with a loss in Portland. Sure, they could beat the Lakers and Kings and manage to get home (for OKC) with a 2-3 mark.

Still, there have been troubling signs for a few weeks – losses to Indiana (two on the season), Orlando and Philadelphia recently, and the inability to run anything resembling an offense (28th in ppg, 29th in assists per game, and 17th on offensive efficiency). The biggest factor, though, is this: if they don’t finish among the 10 worst teams in the league, they lose their 2015 1st round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers.

And yes, there are some potential superstars in the 2015 NBA draft, starting with center Jahlil Okafor, and on through Emmanuel Mudiay, Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell, several players on Kentucky, and a guy with James Harden’s game, Duke’s Justise Winslow.

What’s more important – push Dwyane Wade to play 70 games so they can get 40 wins, sneak into the playoffs as the 7/8 seed and lose in the first round, or rest Wade, trot out some young kids – Shabazz Napier, Hassan Whiteside, James Ennis – and roll the dice in the lottery?

This one’s too easy.