The Miami Heat can't release shooting guard Dion Waiters because the franchise is operating under the hard cap and wouldn't have room to sign a player, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Waiters will soon become ineligible to obtain a $1.2 million bonus that's tied to playing in at least 70 regular season games. However, the Heat will not receive relief against the hard cap.
Per league source, Heat could NOT release Waiters now because it's operating under hard cap and wouldn't have room to sign a player. @Anthony_Chiang has more details here: https://t.co/BoXRm5dFhi
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 11, 2019
… So, at least for the next few weeks, Miami stuck with Waiters because there's no trade market for him and it can't cut him. Nor they can banish him permanently without risk of a grievance. So an uncomfortable marriage continues.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 11, 2019
Waiters suffered a panic attack on the Heat charter plane after consuming a THC-infused edible. Miami suspended the guard for 10 games due to “conduct detrimental to the team.”
The 10-game suspension will cost Waiters $834,483. He's in the third year of a $52 million contract he signed with the Heat in the summer of 2017.
Waiters has yet to appear in a game this season for the Heat. He averaged 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season for the Heat while shooting 41.4 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from beyond the arc and just 50.0 percent from the free-throw line. Waiters missed the first 35 games of the season because of the ankle surgery he underwent in the 2017-18 campaign.
Waiters is making $12.1 million this season. It will be interesting to see if he plays for the Heat ever again.
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