Dion Waiters‘ latest six-game suspension with the Heat will be over after tonight’s game, but there’s no resolution in sight for the standoff between the team and the veteran guard, writes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link). Miami wants to find a way to move on from Waiters, but is reluctant to waive him outright and has had no luck finding a trade partner.
“The Waiters contract is as close to untradeable that I have ever seen in the NBA,” one league executive told Marks.
That might be an exaggeration, as Waiters’ $12.1MM cap hit this season and $12.65MM salary for 2020/21 aren’t as onerous as the figures we’ve seen on some multiyear contracts moved in the past. Still, Waiters certainly has negative trade value, and the Heat are unwilling to attach any of their promising young players like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, or Duncan Robinson to make a deal happen, Marks writes.
Miami’s ability to offer a first-round pick as a sweetener is also limited, since the team owes a pair of future first-rounders to Oklahoma City. On top of that, the Heat don’t want to take on any money that stretches beyond next season, since they want to keep their books as clean as possible to pursue a star free agent such as Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer of 2021. And they can’t take on any extra salary this season due to their hard cap.
All those roadblocks add up to make a Waiters trade a difficult proposition, but a buyout appears no more viable. According to Marks, every team he spoke to at last week’s G League Showcase in Las Vegas believes that Waiters’ NBA career is likely over, so the 28-year-old won’t be motivated to give back any of his salary.
With Waiters set to become eligible to return from his latest suspension after Monday’s game, we’ll see if the Heat take any action with him this week — having him remain away from the team while still receiving his salary would be one option. Barring an unlikely turn of events, he has probably played his last game for the franchise.
No tradable picks till 2025
No young assets they want pack with
No way he will go.
And James johnson is close
Boy Waiters really worked hard to kill his career as quickly as possible.
Just another former Syracuse star with a disappointing NBA career.
Pat Riley helped.
Miami could have kept all this quiet, gave Waiters some run to showcase him, and then shipped him out at the trade deadline. Instead, they had to make an example out of him because…reasons.
Riley botched this one pretty badly. Maybe Waiters forced his hands somehow, but I doubt it. This has “Riley The Tyrant” written all over it.
Oh no, he held a player accountable for their actions. What an absolute monster of a boss.
LOL. Holding him accountable is one thing. Ruining his trade value is another.
Team discipline doesn’t have to be public. An unofficial suspension would have had the same impact as far as Waiters is concerned, but wouldn’t have ruined the trade market.
Riley is a great coach, but he’s a mediocre GM.
Riley traded for Mourning, Shaq, Bosh, and LBJ which resulted in 5 finals appearance and 3 Championships.
You nailed it. Epitome of mediocrity.
Riley owes all his success as a GM to Joe Dumars and Kobe Bryant.
Dumars because he was foolish enough to draft Milicic. Denver drafted Melo, and Miami got Wade. Wade carried the franchise, bringing in LeBron (his close personal friend). If Dumars drafts Melo, Denver gets Wade, and that’s that.
Kobe because he was a terrible teammate – so bad that Shaq demanded a trade.
I’d rather be lucky than good, and Riley deserves some credit for managing the cap. But he’s also the guy that gave Waiters and Johnson too much money, sabotaged Stan Van Gundy, and a bunch of other ugly stuff. Riley is a mediocre GM.
Those are some pretty long cosmic threads you’ve drawn between Riley, Dumars, Bryant, and Miami Heat successes over the years.
As for your hot Kobe take, why not also credit every GM who was either “foolish enough” or unable to acquire Shaq before Riley to your list of people more responsible for the Heat’s five Finals appearances and 3 Championships?
Just answer me this: Without drafting Wade, is Riley a great GM?
And don’t forget – Shaq asked to go to Miami because of Wade.
And to think, Cleveland passed on Thomas Robinson to take him…
Could see him ending up on lakers after buyout happens
As much as I don’t like the Lakers, I have to give them credit. They’ve done an outstanding job with both Rondo and Howard. Maybe they can also figure out Waiters
Anything for the Cavs and Heat to do here involving Exum and Waiters, or is it just not worth the $2.4MM more that CLE would have to pay Waiters than they’re on the hook paying Exum next season?