Many have questions about the Miami Heat’s true intentions this year. Are they trying to win now, or more concerned with the bigger picture? Tyler Herro’s absence to start the regular season will force them to reveal the answer through how they fill his minutes.

Miami’s 25-year-old is not slated to return from left ankle surgery until sometime in late November. In his absence, the team will first and foremost turn to Davion Mitchell, and Norman Powell. After that, though, the Heat have a sneakily critical decision: Do they lean into youthful projects, like Pelle Larsson and rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, or do they give Terry Rozier a chance to rehabilitate his value?

Scoffing at this notion is all too easy. Miami has desperately tried and failed to move Rozier entering training camp. But as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sentinel notes in a recent mailbag, a veteran with 10 years of NBA experience is more likely to deliver a bounce-back season than the Heat are to get breakout campaigns from a handful of unknowns.

The Heat’s commitment to the bigger picture will be tested

This logic isn’t really up for debate.

Yes, Rozier has turned into a pumpkin since arriving in Miami. But flawed as that transaction was, there’s a reason the team forked over a loosely protected first-round pick to get him. Head coach Erik Spoelstra will be tempted to give him an opportunity if the organizational mandate is to win games.

“Does that trump the potential long-term gain of getting Jaime Jaquez Jr. back on track, or fully exploring the possibilities with Pelle Larsson?” Winderman writes. “Win now or set up the future? That will be a key decision regarding the heat’s approach amid Tyler Herro’s absence.”

In reality, there should be no decision. Even if Rozier goes kaboom during Herro’s absence and contributes to a better-than-expected product on the court, he’s not going to be back after this season. The Heat have another superstar acquisition in their sights, and paying him is too much of a risk for a club that needs to prioritize cap flexibility or the procurement of tradeable contracts, prospects, and picks.

Still, anybody who remotely follows the Heat knows that they don’t rebuild. Not in the traditional sense. Their trade for Powell, while a move you make 11-out-of-10 times no matter what, suggests they’re intent on remaining relevant through this season. Going completely away from a veteran like Rozier in favor of player development would be a somewhat out-of-character move.

Herro’s injury could change Miami’s approach

Ideally, the Heat will come to find that Larsson, Jakucionis, and Jaquez do more to drive winning than Rozier. And that’s not outside the realm of possibility.

But the opportunities afforded to all of those guys was up for debate before Herro’s injury. If any of them don’t receive ample court time prior to his return, it will say all we need to know about Miami’s intended approach.

Then again, the Herro injury itself could prompt the Heat to change course. They are not going to tank. But they may be more inclined to test out players who can provide degrees of extra ball-handling, in hopes of diminishing their total dependence on Herro.

This mindset would bode well for Larsson, and also Jakucionis. If Miami is more concerned with shooting, Rozier has the steadier track record. Regardless of the why, the Heat’s rotation to start the year will be a window into their primary goals not just without Herro, but for the entire season.