Offseason In Review: Miami Heat
Over the next several weeks, Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2016 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Miami Heat.
Free agent signings:
- Hassan Whiteside: Four years, $98.42MM. Maximum salary contract. Fourth year player option.
- Tyler Johnson: Four years, $50MM. Fourth year player option. Matched Nets’ offer sheet.
- Wayne Ellington: Two years, $12.27MM. Second year non-guaranteed.
- Dion Waiters: Two years, $5.926MM. Second year player option.
- Derrick Williams: One year, $4.598MM.
- Udonis Haslem: One year, $4MM.
- James Johnson: One year, $4MM.
- Willie Reed: Two years, minimum salary. Second year player option.
- Beno Udrih: One year, minimum salary. Waived.
Camp invitees:
- Keith Benson: Two years, minimum salary ($75K guaranteed). Waived.
- Vashil Fernandez: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Stefan Jankovic: Two years, minimum salary ($100K guaranteed). Waived.
- Rodney McGruder: Three years, minimum salary ($150K guaranteed).
- Luis Montero: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Okaro White: Two years, minimum salary ($100K guaranteed). Waived.
Trades:
- Acquired Luke Babbitt from the Pelicans in exchange for the Pelicans’ own 2018 second-round pick (previously traded to Miami) and cash.
Draft picks:
- None
Departing players:
- Luol Deng
- Gerald Green
- Joe Johnson
- Amar’e Stoudemire
- Dwyane Wade
- Briante Weber (waived)
- Dorell Wright
Other offseason news:
- Chris Bosh remains on Heat roster, but isn’t expected to play another game for team.
- Reportedly kicked the tires on a possible Rudy Gay trade.
- Josh Richardson suffered partially torn MCL and is expected to miss start of season.
- Exercised 2017/18 option on Justise Winslow‘s rookie contract.
Check out our salary cap snapshot for the Miami Heat right here.
When LeBron James returned home to Cleveland two summers ago, the Heat moved on to Plan B, which was to rebuild a title contender around Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Now it’s time for Plan C.
Wade, the cornerstone of the franchise for the past 13 years, signed with the Bulls in July after a contract dispute. Bosh faces an uncertain future after failing his training camp physical because of a lingering problem with blood clots. The Heat underwent a massive roster overhaul during the summer and now seem like fringe playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Free agency got off to a great start for Miami, as center Hassan Whiteside opted in the early-morning hours of July 1st to remain with the Heat. Miami didn’t have Bird rights on Whiteside, who met with Dallas and had a session scheduled with Portland before making his decision. After being out of the NBA for two seasons, Whiteside signed with Miami in November of 2014 and quickly developed into a defensive force. He led the league in blocked shots by a wide margin last season with 3.68 per game, along with 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds.
Whiteside’s new maximum-salary deal paved the way for Wade’s decision to leave Miami. Wade was angry that the Heat weren’t willing to give him a max offer as well, considering that he accepted less than his market value for years to give the franchise enough cap room to bring in James and Bosh. As negotiations with Miami deteriorated in early July, Wade accepted a two-year, $47MM offer from Chicago. His departure not only created a hole in the lineup at shooting guard, it left the psychological scar of losing the most accomplished player in franchise history.
That feeling was compounded last month when Bosh, the only remaining member of the Big Three, was unable to pass a physical administered before the start of training camp. Bosh, who has seen his past two seasons cut short by blood clots, had worked throughout the offseason to prepare for camp and had proposed taking a new medication that would be out of his system by game time. However, the Heat’s reluctance to accept that plan combined with his lack of medical clearance probably means that Bosh has played his last game for the franchise.
The other defining event of Miami’s offseason was a four-year, $50MM offer sheet the Nets extended to backup guard Tyler Johnson. The contract was backloaded to make it difficult for the Heat to match, with annual salaries of $5.628MM, $5,881,260, $18,858,765 and $19,631,975. Miami decided to match anyway and made a slew of moves beforehand. In one day, the Heat added free agents Wayne Ellington, James Johnson and Willie Reed, swung a trade with the Pelicans for Luke Babbitt, re-signed veteran big man Udonis Haslem and then matched Johnson. It’s up to the third-year guard to prove he can earn that big-money deal after playing just 36 games at the NBA level last season and averaging 8.7 points and 2.2 assists per night.
But the Heat weren’t done adding free agents. They also signed Knicks forward Derrick Williams for one season at $4.598MM and Thunder shooting guard Dion Waiters for two years at $5.926MM with a player option on the second season. In addition, Miami re-signed veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who accepted a controversial buyout last season that helped the Heat escape luxury tax penalties. Udrih was waived Saturday, but still received a guaranteed veteran’s minimum deal of $1.5MM, which was a nice reward for giving up $90K in the buyout. He has since been claimed off waivers by Detroit, which absolves the team of any cap hit.
After a summer of turnover, the Heat may not be done with roster moves. They were rumored to be discussing a deal with the Kings that would send Goran Dragic to Sacramento in exchange for Rudy Gay and Darren Collison. Gay has made it known that he plans to opt out of his contract next summer and end his relationship with the Kings, but he might be interested in a long-term future in South Florida.
Draft night was quiet in Miami as the Heat didn’t have a pick in either round. Their first-rounder was shipped to Philadelphia, which used it to take Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at No. 24, and their second-rounder went to Boston, which selected Ben Bentil at No. 51.
After a seven-game loss to Toronto in the conference semifinals, the Heat entered the offseason hoping they could re-sign Whiteside to combine with Wade, Bosh and Dragic as the core of one of the East’s best teams. But keeping their star center was about the only predictable thing that happened since last season ended. The roster overhaul saw veteran free agents Luol Deng, Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green all leave town, forcing the Heat to start rebuilding around their young talent.
Now that the Big Three era is over in Miami, fans can expect change to continue. None of the five outside free agents the Heat brought in has a commitment beyond this season. That gives the team lots of flexibility for deals during the year and a chance to chase elite free agents next summer if Bosh’s salary is cleared off the books. Regardless of this year’s win-loss record, fans shouldn’t get too comfortable with the current Heat roster. Chances are strong that it will look much different by next October.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ronny Turiaf Announces Retirement
Longtime NBA big man Ronny Turiaf has announced that he is retiring, posting a YouTube video to confirm his decision. Turiaf narrates the video in French, discussing his career journey and explaining why he’s deciding to call it a career.
“My objective was always to play for 10 years in the NBA and to play 100 times for Team France,” Turiaf says in the video, as he literally walks toward the sunset. “I can honestly say that I achieved all of my goals. So now, I begin my new life.”
Back in June, Turiaf indicated in an interview with BasketUSA.com (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando) that he’d have some interest in returning to the court, following a hip injury that had sidelined him since 2014. The 33-year-old suggested he’d leave the door open to the possibility of signing with an NBA team or a major European club, but it seems he either decided against a comeback, or didn’t receive the sort of interest he had hoped for.
A second-round pick out of Gonzaga in the 2005 draft, Turiaf spent three years with the Lakers before moving on to the Warriors, Knicks, Wizards, Heat, Clippers, and Timberwolves. Over the course of his 10-year NBA career, Turiaf appeared in 473 total regular season games, averaging 4.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. He also played in 47 postseason contests, winning a title with the Heat in 2012.
Pistons Claim Udrih Off Waivers, Waive McCallum
5:50pm: Detroit has confirmed the moves via press release.
4:37pm: The Pistons have waived Ray McCallum to clear a roster spot for Udrih, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press reports (on Twitter).
4:17pm: The Pistons, who are in need of backcourt depth, have taken to the waiver wire to help fill that need, with the team claiming Beno Udrih off waivers from the Heat, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). Detroit is now responsible for the veteran’s cap hit of $980,431 as a result of the claim, which gets Miami off the hook for that amount. With Udrih earning the veteran’s minimum this season, Detroit did not need to use an exception to add him to the team. Udrih’s actual salary for 2016/17 is approximately $1.5MM.
Udrih played 36 games with Miami last season before agreeing to a buyout in February to help the team avoid the luxury tax, which certainly gained him some fans within the organization. In those 36 games for the Heat last season, Udrih averaged 4.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16.3 minutes per outing. He shot .434/.333/.882 from the field.
With starter Reggie Jackson likely sidelined until mid-November due to injury, Udrih will see minutes off the bench for Detroit.
Suns Exercise 2017/18 Options On Booker, Warren
The Suns have officially exercised their 2017/18 options for guard Devin Booker and forward T.J. Warren, the team announced. Booker will earn $2,319,36 in what will be the third year of his rookie scale contract, while Warren will make $3,152,931 in what will be the fourth year of his current deal.
Booker was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection in 2015/16 after making 76 appearances, including 51 starts, averaging 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.7 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .423/.343/.840. The 19-year-old ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring this preseason, averaging 19.6 points in five appearances, including a 34-point performance at Portland on October 7th.
Warren, 23, made 47 appearances for Phoenix a season ago, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists on 22.8 minutes. His slash line on the campaign was .501/.400/.703. The third-year player started all six of the Suns’ preseason games, averaging 12.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting and 4.2 rebounds.
Kings Waive Jordan Farmar, Isaiah Cousins
The Kings have officially waived guards Jordan Farmar and Isaiah Cousins, the team announced via press release. Sacramento will be on the hook for $100K for Cousins, who had a partially guaranteed deal, unless he is claimed off waivers by another team.
The team also released its opening night roster, which includes 15 players. No mention was made of Lamar Patterson, who was reportedly re-signed by Sacramento on Friday. It’s unclear if the signing never occurred, the player was already waived or the deal is still pending.
Farmar, who will turn 30 in November, has played more than 500 regular-season games over the course of his nine-year NBA career, though he appeared in just 12 games last season. In those contests, Farmar averaged 9.2 PPG, 3.1 APG and 1.3 SPG. However, his production dipped in the playoffs, as he shot just 32.3% from the floor during the club’s first-round loss to San Antonio.
Cousins (no relation to DeMarcus) is a 6’6″ shooting guard out of Oklahoma who became the second-last player selected in this year’s draft. In his final year with the Sooners, Cousins averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 37 contests. The senior also shot 41.1% on three-point attempts and made nearly two of them per game — his shooting percentage was better on three-pointers than on two-pointers for a second consecutive season.
Cavs Waive Dahntay Jones
The Cavs have officially waived forward Dahntay Jones, the team announced. The veteran’s deal included no guaranteed salary, so Cleveland won’t be on the hook for any funds as a result of the move.
Jones, 35, has career averages of 5.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 623regular season contests. His slash line is .439/.331/.751.
This reduces the team’s roster count to 15 players, which is the regular season maximum. It also means that DeAndre Liggins has made the team.
Grizzlies Waive Matt Costello
The Grizzlies have officially waived Matt Costello, the team announced via press release. It’s unclear if Costello’s deal included any guaranteed salary that the team will be responsible for, as contract details have not been relayed for the initial signing.
Costello was waived by the Hawks last Monday and inked by the Grizzlies on Thursday. The undrafted rookie out of Michigan State averaged 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 9.0 minutes during his two preseason appearances with Atlanta.
Memphis also confirmed the previously-reported release of Jordan Adams, so the team’s roster now stands at 15 players, which is the regular season maximum.
Suns Waive Archie Goodwin
4:25pm: The Suns officially announced that Goodwin was waived.
2:57pm: Another player with a guaranteed 2016/17 salary has been released, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the Suns have waived former first-round pick Archie Goodwin. The move brings the team’s roster to 15 players, so no additional cuts are necessary before opening night.
[RELATED: Suns’ roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com]
The 29th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Goodwin has appeared in 150 games for the Suns since making his NBA debut. In 2015/16, he averaged 19.5 minutes per contest in 57 games (13 starts), recording 8.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG.
While Goodwin has yet to develop into a productive NBA regular, he has shown flashes of promise and explosiveness. The Kentucky product is still just 22 years old, and was set to earn a modest salary of $2,094,089 from the Suns this season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency in 2017. If Goodwin clears waivers, Phoenix will remain on the hook for that salary, but he looks like a candidate to draw interest on waivers from teams with cap room. A club like the Sixers, who are fairly thin in the backcourt and are well below the salary cap floor, could be interested in placing a claim on Goodwin.
The Suns had still been carrying two players without fully guaranteed salaries, in John Jenkins and Derrick Jones. Jenkins’ salary is believed to be fully guaranteed now that he has remained on the roster beyond October 23, whereas Phoenix maintains some flexibility with Jones, whose deal is partially guaranteed for about $43K — it won’t fully guarantee until January 10.
Rockets Waive Pablo Prigioni, Will Keep Tyler Ennis
4:18pm: The Rockets have changed their mind and will keep Ennis and are waiving veteran Pablo Prigioni instead, Charania tweets. As a result, Houston will be on the hook for Prigioni’s fully guaranteed contract for 2016/17 worth $1,050,961, unless the player is claimed off waivers by another club.
1:51pm: Having waived three players earlier today, the Rockets need to make one more cut to get down to 15 players, and it looks like the team might make a surprising move. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter), Houston plans to release Tyler Ennis. Charania cautions that the two sides could end up negotiating a new deal if and when Ennis clears waivers.
[RELATED: Rockets waive Gary Payton II, P.J. Hairston, Le’Bryan Nash]
The 18th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Ennis was sent from Phoenix to Milwaukee at the 2015 trade deadline, then arrived in Houston last month when the Rockets acquired him in exchange for Michael Beasley. In 71 games for the Bucks, Ennis averaged just 4.1 PPG and 2.1 APG in 13.5 minutes per contest. The 22-year-old is owed a guaranteed $1.734MM salary for 2016/17.
Considering Ennis was on a guaranteed salary for 2016/17, waiving him in order to sign him to a new deal would be an unusual move for Houston. However, if they keep him, the Rockets would need to decide within a week whether or not to exercise Ennis’ $2.667MM option for 2017/18. Signing the former Buck to a new two-year, minimum-salary deal could make him more affordable for next year, even if the Rockets would be paying him more this year.
We’ll wait to see what the Rockets have planned, but if Ennis is cut and isn’t immediately re-signed, it may open the door for both Kyle Wiltjer and Bobby Brown to make the team’s 15-man roster. Before waiving Ennis, Houston’s roster count sits at 16.
Celtics Waive R.J. Hunter, Keep James Young
4:05pm: The Celtics officially announced Hunter has been waived.
11:05am: After spending the last two seasons with the Celtics, James Young will remain in Boston for a little while longer. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), Young has earned a spot on the Celtics’ 15-man regular-season roster. With Young not going anywhere, the Celtics have waived R.J. Hunter to get down to the 15-man limit, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
After waiving Ben Bentil and a few other camp invitees, the Celtics were believed to be deciding between Young and Hunter for their final roster spot. The team didn’t want to cut loose either of the two players, who were first-round picks in 2014 and 2015, respectively — a report last week suggested that Boston was dangling both players in search of a second-round pick. However, the C’s were unable to find a deal, forcing them to part ways with last year’s 28th overall pick.
For Hunter, who turns 23 today, it’s not much of a birthday gift. Still, his salary for the 2016/17 season is fully guaranteed, so Boston will owe him $1.2MM. The Celtics would remove that hit from their cap if Hunter is claimed off waivers by another team later this week. Either way, the team won’t be on the hook for Hunter’s third- and fourth-year salaries, since those were team options that hadn’t been locked in yet.
As for Young, the Celtics will soon face another decision on the 21-year-old shooting guard. The team has until October 31 to decide whether to exercise or decline his fourth-year option for 2017/18. If Boston picks up that option, Young would be guaranteed a $2.804MM salary in ’17/18.