2:05pm: The Heat have formally waived Anderson, the team confirmed in a press release.
12:26pm: The Heat will waive Ryan Anderson and use the stretch provision on the remaining year of the forward’s contract in order to complete the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade with the Sixers, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.
Anderson had a $21,264,635 salary for next season but approximately $15,64MM was guaranteed. By stretching out the guaranteed portion of the contract, the Heat will take cap hits of approximately $5.2MM for the next three seasons. Miami needed to get below the hard cap of $138.9MM that applies to teams that acquire a player via sign-and-trade. Stretching out Anderson’s deal was its simplest means of achieving that goal, as the Heat will drop $1.88MM below that hard cap threshold, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes.
Anderson was one of the hottest free agents on the market in 2016 and signed a four-year, $80MM with the Rockets. That contract became an albatross after Anderson lost playing time in Houston and he was traded to both the Suns and Heat last season, appearing in just 25 games.
The Heat will apparently hold onto Goran Dragic for the time being, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Dragic, who is due $19.2MM for next season, has been the subject of trade rumors.
Need to move Olynyk and/or Leonard if possible
Dragic, Olynyk, Winslow and a pick or two for Westbrook.
That’ll leave them with about 7 players and hard capped. Not really possible.
They should trade Dragic and Johnson and a couple second rounders for Chris Paul. Houston has made it very obvious that Harden and Paul don’t like each other, so you’d be offering them a reasonable solution to that problem. Houston gets Dragics expiring contract and Johnson who is a good vet and role player plus some picks. Miami gets back Chris Paul to play with Jimmy Butler which makes Miami a better team and gives them better luck come the play offs.
The heat have a line up of
1. Paul
2. Butler
3. Winslow
4. Olynyk
5. Adebayor
If they want more shooting around Butler and Paul you can swap Winslow out and bring in Waiters or Herro. If they want better defence they you play Winslow
Adebayor was great with the Spurs. Fact