The Miami Heat have an interesting offseason ahead of them as they try to keep their core group together while improving enough to improve upon their second round exit in the playoffs. What can we expect from them this summer? Here's all the latest news and rumors surrounding the Heat's plans:
Heat to offer Whiteside the max?
The feeling around the NBA for most of the season has been that the Miami Heat will have to let center Hassan Whiteside walk in free agency since they won't be able to afford giving him a max contract - something he'll undoubtedly get on the open market. However, the Heat may be willing to let other players walk or go well into the luxury tax in order to keep him in town, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson:
Though the Heat ideally would prefer to re-sign Hassan Whiteside at something less than a max deal (but ultimately might need to offer that), a competing and respected NBA general manager explained to me recently why it would be short-sighted for Miami to risk losing him over a few million dollars a year, why it’s easy to justify a max deal for Whiteside (starting at a projected $21.6 million) and why he’s going to be offered that by multiple teams. The GM, who cannot be named because of NBA tampering rules, listed four reasons:
Where else, he said, are you going to find a player so skilled at deterring shots (Whiteside’s blocked shots average was the league’s highest in 15 years), at rebounding (fourth in the league) and with a developing offensive game where he’s now seen as a player who could average between 15 to 18 points a game? There’s nobody else remotely like that in this free agent class, the GM said.
With the big spike in the cap assured to drive up salaries for most everybody, the GM said it’s pointless to offer only $19 million to start – and allow yourself to be outbid – “because that extra $3 million is not going to get you” anything close to an impact player. So just give him the $22 million, the GM said.
His annual raises will be offset by another big jump in the salary cap in 2017-18. The cap is projected to be $92 million next season, then rise again to $107 million in 2017-18. The cap is then expected to fluctuate between $105 million and $112 million in the following three seasons, though that could change if the players opt out of the deal after next season (widely expected to happen by the December 2016 deadline) and get an even bigger chunk of the revenue.
Miami will likely have to let some of their free agents walk to re-sign Whiteside without paying too large of a luxury tax bill, most notably Luol Deng, while re-signing Dwyane Wade for less than the $20 million he made in 2015-16.
Whiteside made just $981,348 this past season and averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.7 blockers per game.
Only two locks to be back with the Heat next season?
Miami has plenty of flexibility this offseason with just six players under contract for next season, but the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman thinks that only Dwyane Wade and Josh Richardson are locks to return to the team:
I’ve been thinking about which players are the most likely to definitively be in uniform with the Heat next season from the current roster. To me, Dwyane Wade and Josh Richardson are the only locks. While Justise, Goran Dragic, Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts are under guaranteed contract to the Heat for 2016-17, Justise has the value you mentioned as a potential trade sweetener, Goran could be moved (although not likely) to create additional cap space, Bosh remains uncertain because of his health, and McRoberts hardly has cast himself as must-keep. Then there is Tyler Johnson, who could stand as the third-most-likely player to stay, unless an outside team offers a huge free-agency contract, which does not appear likely in light of his shoulder issue. Beyond that, everyone and anyone either does not have fully guaranteed money or is a free agent.
Chris Bosh's status will impact what Heat do in free agency
The Miami Heat are still unsure if and when forward Chris Bosh will return from the blood clots that have ended his last two seasons. That's not ideal for the Heat, as the Palm Beach Post reports Bosh's status will affect what the Heat do in free agency. No Bosh means the Heat have even less of a chance with Kevin Durant, but a healthy Bosh and Hassan Whiteside means the Heat won't pursue Al Horford. There's also the issue of money, as Bosh is set to make $23.7 million next season. With Bosh's future up in the air, it's going to be tough for the Heat to develop a game plan for free agency.
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