Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The Miami Heat want to maintain their salary cap flexibility here in the early part of the NBA offseason just in case, ahem, a major star player comes available on the trade market in the coming weeks. You’ll be excused if you strain some ocular muscles while rolling your eyes over that.
Even Erik Spoelstra must get tired of hearing that the team is on the hunt for a major star trade.
Remember 2022, when Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, one that eventually fizzled before he was finally traded to Phoenix a year later? The Heat were supposed to be “determined” to keep their flexibility for a Durant trade that summer. Or Bradley Beal. Or James Harden.
Nothing happened, of course. Just like nothing happened in 2023, despite a summer’s worth of speculation about a Heat trade for Damian Lillard that made the deal seem a slam dunk. Until, that is, Lillard was dealt to Milwaukee.
So with veteran Heat reporters Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reporting that the team is keeping its options in free agency open so that they can “add a high-level player” via a future trade.
Miami Heat Summer Has Been Slow
Sigh. The Herald’s report comes from three sources, and suggests that the Heat have already had discussions on a blockbuster deal, and perhaps more. The Heat, because the team is over the first apron of the NBA’s punitive new luxury tax, would likely need to make a trade to dump salary before a major trade for a star player could be pulled off.
Here’s what Chiang and Jackson reported:
“There’s a reason the Heat hasn’t quickly spent that money (under the apron). According to three people who have had contact with the Heat, Miami wants to maintain flexibility with that space in case an opportunity to add a high-level player becomes available.
“There have been Heat trade discussions with teams – including one with substantial cap space – though further details are unclear. One of the sources said Miami also wants to see what good players become available in the trade market in the days and weeks ahead. So, any holding pattern is the byproduct of preferring to leave options open to pursue something meaningful—not a reluctance to spend.”
Terry Rozier Trade a Regrettable Deal?
That’s partially true. But there are a couple of issues for the Miami Heat that go beyond their own reluctance to spend.
One is the Terry Rozier trade, which might prove to be regrettable. The Heat had the option to keep point guard Kyle Lowry and let him hit free agency this summer, saving enough money to get them near the salary cap. But the Heat did not want to lose Lowry’s sizable salary slot, so they made the move for Rozier.
In doing so, they took on two years of Rozier’s deal, which has $51 million remaining. That’s useful when matching salaries to trade, but the Heat might have done better to take on a player who only had one year left on the contract. The Miami Heat overpaid in the Rozier deal, sending a 2027 first-round pick to the Hornets, an asset they’d really like to have back.
The other issue: Will there be players the Heat could actually use on the market? Brandon Ingram is a possibility. Lauri Markkanen is a longshot. Jerami Grant is an expensive gamble. Those are, at least, realistic. But maybe the Heat are still holding out hope that Durant comes available.
Either way, the Heat have disappointed, again, in the early part of the NBA offseason. And, again, they’re using the prospect of a trade to explain why. Maybe they’ll actually make one this time. But history suggests a dose of cynicism is warranted.
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