Brace yourself, because it’s happening … again.

Just when you thought you were out — no longer to spend an offseason pining for star-level talent that ultimately falls beyond your grasp — the NBA offseason has a way of sucking (and suckering) you right back in, sometimes even with the same names.

So if it isn’t ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith bloviating about Damian Lillard not necessarily happy in Milwaukee (as if anyone who has been to Milwaukee in the winter couldn’t have seen that coming), it well could be Donovan Mitchell being left to lament another postseason failure in Cleveland.

As in the Heat reliving the Summer of Lillard, or another appearance at the summer Miami Pro League by Mitchell playing alongside Bam Adebayo to stir speculation about that potential partnership.

This summer also is different, with the rules of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement going into effect. So if there again is thought of a Heat gambit for something bigger and better, there also will be restrictions of the Heat being a First Apron team this offseason.

Without getting to deep into the weeds, what that essentially means is the Heat no longer will be allowed to take back more in salary in a trade than it can send out, and if contracts are aggregated in an outgoing package, then the Heat are moved to being a Second Apron team, and therefore becomes hard-capped for next season.

Putting the salary-cap machinations aside — because if there is a will by Heat general manager Andy Elisburg to make it work, there will be a way — instead focus on the moment.

As in this postseason moment at hand, when expectations that sour can leave star players or teams particularly dour.

And, yes, begin the relentless churn of the Heat rumor mill once again, even as the Heat play on against the Celtics, still living in the moment.

As in?

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