The Miami Heat have been relatively quiet in this free agency period. That’s not a surprise, however, as this time of year on the NBA’s calendar is usually for teams with the ability to spend. That is simply not the case for the Heat, who will have to find a way to shed some of their assets just to alleviate the swelling of their financial situation.
As of the moment, the Heat have over $120 million committed to players’ salaries for the 2018-19 season, and that’s with the team’s roster not yet completely filled.
The Heat’s front office has an entire offseason to develop channels which will help Miami ease its financial load, including finding trade partners for some of their most expensive players. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Heat have already explored that option, as they reportedly made contactswith other teams in hopes of trading the likes of Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, and Dion Waiters.
The Heat has tried to move Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson this offseason but has not found a trade market, according to three people in contact with the team. Dion Waiters’ name also has been raised, one of these people said.
Whiteside’s contract with the Heat won’t expire until the summer of 2020. He will set Miami back $25.4 million next season and $27.0 million more in 2019-20. Johnson, on the other hand, also has a guaranteed contract until 2020. In the event that the Heat trade him, he is set to earn 15 percent more thanks to a trade kicker stipulation in his contract. As for Waiters, the ever-confident shooting guard’s deal lasts until 2021 and will pay him $36 million more over that stretch.
Needless to say, the Heat have a big financial headache to cure.
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