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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Miami Heat

June 5th, 2017 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat started the 2016/17 season with a 7-12 record, then had a pair of wild swings, losing 18 of their next 22 games before winning 30 of their final 41. There’s reason to believe that Miami’s strong second half is a positive sign of things to come, but a few of the club’s key players from that run are now eligible for free agency. That will create some uncertainty going forward, but with Chris Bosh‘s $25MM+ salary no longer on their books, the Heat will have a little more room to maneuver this offseason.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Heat financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Hassan Whiteside ($23,775,506)
Goran Dragic ($17,000,450)
Josh McRoberts ($6,021,175) — Exercised player option.
Tyler Johnson ($5,881,260)
Justise Winslow ($2,705,040)
Total: $55,383,431
Note: Chris Bosh‘s $25,289,390 salary removed from cap due to medical ruling.

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Wayne Ellington ($6,270,000)¹
Josh Richardson ($1,471,382)²
Rodney McGruder ($1,312,611)³
Okaro White ($1,312,611)⁴
Total: $10,366,604

Restricted Free Agents

None

Cap Holds

Udonis Haslem ($7,600,000)
James Johnson ($4,800,000)
Dion Waiters ($3,477,600) — Player option declined.
No. 14 overall pick ($2,490,360)
Luke Babbitt ($1,471,382)
Willie Reed ($1,471,382) — Player option declined.
Total: $21,310,724

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $38,232,519

Taking into account their five guaranteed contracts, plus cap holds for a first-round pick and six empty roster spots, the Heat have a team salary of $62,767,481. However, that would mean waiving all their non-guaranteed players, including Richardson and McGruder, which is very unlikely — still, since those players are on veteran minimum salaries, they won’t cut into Miami’s cap room in a major way.

Footnotes:

Ellington’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
Richardson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
McGruder’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($452,625) after August 1.
White’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($226,312) after July 1. Partial guarantee increases to $452,624 after August 1.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.

Dion Waiters Open To Giving Heat Discount

June 5th, 2017 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Since the Heat’s season ended in April, Dion Waiters has expressed multiple times that he wants to stay in Miami, despite the fact that he’s opting out of his contract. On Sunday, Waiters went a step further, indicating on WSVN’s 7 Sports Xtra that he’d be open to the idea of accepting something of a hometown discount with the Heat, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel details.

“It depends,” Waiters said. “Yeah, I would, though. But, like I said, it depends, just being the right thing, at the right time. It’s just got to be right. It’s got to be equal.”

Since joining the Heat last year, and especially in recent weeks, Waiters has spoken about the idea of buying into the team’s culture, suggesting last month that once you buy into what the Heat are preaching, you start to see the results.

That mindset helped buoy Waiters to an impressive comeback season in 2016/17. A year after setting a career low in PPG (9.8) with Oklahoma City, Waiters averaged 15.8 PPG with career highs in APG (4.3) and 3PT% (.395) for the Heat. After earning about $3MM this past season, Waiters should be in line for a sizable raise.

With Chris Bosh‘s salary off their books, the Heat should have a nice chunk of cap room available this summer. Miami wants to re-sign both Waiters and fellow free agent James Johnson, who has also said he’s willing to consider taking a modest discount to stay with the Heat. If the club can lock up both players to slightly below-market deals, there could still be room to make another addition.

East Notes: Ball, Knicks, Caldwell-Pope

June 4th, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by Austin Kent

Any NBA team considering drafting Lonzo Ball later this month will do so knowing full well that the UCLA product comes part and parcel with his boisterous father. One Sixers executive, special adviser Jerry Colangelo, thinks that Lavar Ball could make things “challenging”.

Colangelo spoke with CBS Sports radio (h/t Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic) and discussed the point guard from the Sixers’ perspective. As critical as Colangelo was, however, he was sure to acknowledge Ball as a terrific prospect and said that teams wouldn’t likely bypass the player because of it.

Though it’s merely our speculation, the comments could be little more than a Sixers smokescreen, a common tactic in the weeks leading up to the draft. Philadelphia, of course, would benefit from the Lakers having second thoughts and opting against drafting the acclaimed prospect.

Just yesterday it was reported that Los Angeles was supposedly leaning against drafting Ball, with their interest in prospects Josh Jackson and De’Aaron Fox allegedly growing.

There’s more out of the East:

Although several of his teammates – like Dion Waiters and James Johnson – will be free agents this summer, Heat center Hassan Whiteside is convinced they’ll be back, writes Shandel Richardson and Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. “I’m not even thinking about them being gone,” Whiteside said. “I’m thinking like they will be here next year.“
Yesterday marked the anniversary of what the New York Post’s Mike Vaccaro considers the Knicks‘ worst loss as a franchise. Spoiler alert, it involves Charles Smith and one terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad possession.
Citing Bradley Beal‘s improvement in Year 5, Ash Vanclay of Piston Powered makes the case for the Pistons matching any offer sheet that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signs this summer.

Kennedy Meeks Takes Inspiration From Whiteside

June 4th, 2017 at 2:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

North Carolina center Kennedy Meeks takes inspiration from Heat center Hassan Whiteside, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. They both played for the same AAU organization, and like Meeks, Whiteside wasn’t a highly regarded prospect coming out of college. “He’s always been a big brother to me,” said Meeks, who held his pro day in front of several scouts this morning. “And I’ve seen him grow tremendously from not being in the NBA to making a lot of money. So I’m definitely proud of him.” Others involved in today’s session were Miami forward Kamari Murphy, former Miami center Tonye Jekiri, Florida Atlantic guard Adonis Filer and Florida guard Kasey Hill.

Justise Winslow A Month Away From Return

June 3rd, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Heat small forward Justise Winslow will need another month before he can fully return from shoulder surgery, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (link via Twitter). Winslow’s second NBA season was limited to just 18 games due to the injury. The former Duke Blue Devil started 15 of those contests, posting well-rounded averages of 10.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.4 SPG.

Winderman also tweets (link via Twitter) that Winslow is prioritizing improving his shooting mechanics.

Dion Waiters To Decline Player Option

June 2nd, 2017 at 8:31pm CST by Austin Kent

As expected, Dion Waiters intends to opt out of his 2017/18 player option, league sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN. That means the 25-year-old guard who saw a resurgence this season will forego the guaranteed $3.2MM he had lined up with the Heat in order to test the open market.

Considering that Waiters put forth his most complete season as a professional this year, he is expected to yield a significant pay raise. The fifth-year player posted career highs with 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while adding 15.8 points per contest.

Given the role that Pat Riley and the Heat played in the rejuvenation of his career and the stellar run that saw Miami fly from a 11-30 start to a near-playoff berth, Waiters is said to have an interest in returning to South Beach.

Whether or not the Heat prioritize retaining his services, however, is yet to be determined with some acknowledging that the organization could instead pursue an established star with their cap space this summer.

NBA Formally Rules Bosh’s Illness Career-Ending

June 2nd, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Austin Kent

A medical review from the NBA and the players’ union has concluded that Chris Bosh‘s blood clotting condition is in fact career-ending, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. The decision goes along with what the Miami Heat had previously established.

Bosh hasn’t played since part-way through the 2015/16 campaign but has previously mentioned an interest in coming back to the NBA if he’s ever deemed medically eligible. By waiting to sort through the complex legalities of the unique situation as opposed to attempting to shed his salary as early possible, the Heat have now guaranteed that when they waive Bosh, they won’t run the risk of his salary ever returning to the books in the event that he’s cleared to play in the future.

Had they decided not to wait, they could have looked to exclude Bosh’s contract as early February 9, 2017.

All that’s left now, Winderman says, is for the Heat to formally waive the big man, something that they’ll do as soon as they need to clear up the cap space. If another team claims him through the traditional waivers, they will not be eligible for the same cap relief.

Although it won’t count towards Miami’s team payroll at any point, Bosh is guaranteed the remaining portion of his contract, totaling over $50MM through 2018/19, the majority of it covered by insurance.

Ultimately, now that the complications surrounding the cap impacts of Bosh’s health have come to a formal conclusion, the Heat can look forward to a summer with $37MM of cap space, Winderman writes.

If Bosh ever does decide to pursue a comeback, an unlikely outcome per TNT’s David Aldridge, he’ll need to present medical evidence that meets the league approval.

Latest On Bucks’ GM Search

June 1st, 2017 at 5:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Milwaukee will begin formal interviews for its open GM position on Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports.

The team has been granted permission to speak with Blazer assistant GM Bill Branch, Heat assistant GM Adam Simon, and Pistons assistant GM Pat Garrity, according to Wojnarowski.

The scribe adds that the Bucks have reached out to the Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon about the opening. Hammon has been working under coach Gregg Popovich for three seasons.

Milwaukee previously reached out to Indiana and gained permission to speak with the team’s VP of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie. Wojnarowski adds that the franchise also has permission to speak with Denver assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas, Grizzlies VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski and Hawks special advisor Wes Wilcox.

Justin Zanik, who is currently running the team as its assistant GM, remains a strong candidate for the position. Zanik is gathering “significant support” inside and outside the organization, Wojnarowski writes. He joined the team with the expectation that he would be the GM-in-waiting once John Hammond‘s contract expired. Hammond recently left the franchise to become Orlando’s GM.

Willie Reed To Decline Player Option With Heat

June 1st, 2017 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat big man Willie Reed will opt out of his contract with the Heat, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that Reed will turn down his player option for 2017/18. Declining that modest $1.577MM option will allow the 27-year-old to reach unrestricted free agency.

Reed, who signed a minimum salary contract with the Heat last summer, appeared in 71 games for the team, averaging 14.5 minutes per contest in a part-time role. For the season, Reed recorded 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG with a .568 FG%.

While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Reed was a solid rotation piece for Miami and has likely earned a raise. The Heat only have Non-Bird rights on the 6’10” forward/center, so their ability to offer that raise will be limited, unless they can use cap space or their room exception.

Before he signed with Miami last July, Reed reportedly received interest from the Timberwolves, Spurs, Warriors, Thunder, and Pacers. Many of those teams could circle back to Reed this time around, and several more clubs will probably kick the tires, based on his solid performance in 2016/17.

Reed is one of three Heat veterans making a player option decision this summer. Josh McRoberts is opting into the final year of his contract, while Dion Waiters is considered a virtual lock to opt out.

Heat Purchase Controlling Interest In NBADL Affiliate

June 1st, 2017 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially purchased a controlling interest in their NBA D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced today in a press release. The two teams had already shared a single-affiliate relationship for the last four years, but the Heat will now have more freedom to own and operate the franchise.

“We are so proud to enter into this partnership with the Miami Heat,” said Mike Heineman, the president and owner of the Skyforce. “They have been so good for the Skyforce and for the city of Sioux Falls. To be able to expand our partnership with Miami while keeping the team in Sioux Falls were our two biggest goals throughout this process.”

Heineman’s reference to keeping the Skyforce in Sioux Falls is an interesting one. With more and more NBA teams securing geographically-adjacent D-League clubs, the Heat/Skyforce pairing is an aberration. The distance between the NBADL arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami is 1,825 miles — a 26-hour drive, per Google Maps.

Buying a controlling interest in the D-League organization gives the Heat the opportunity to relocate the club to a more logical spot, perhaps a city in South Florida. However, Heineman’s statement suggests the deal may include an agreement not to move the Skyforce out of Sioux Falls — at least not in the short-term future. The Heat’s press release notes that Heineman and his family will continue to run the Skyforce’s off-the-court business operations and community initiatives.

The NBA Development League, which will be renamed as the NBA Gatorade League in 2017/18, is expected to feature 26 teams next season, with only a handful of NBA teams still lacking an affiliate. The Nuggets, Blazers, and Wizards have yet to announce D-League plans, while the Pelicans’ affiliate is expected to begin play in 2018/19.