To recap, below are the highest payrolls in the NBA: 1. Miami $152,139,272 2. Oklahoma City $147,305,636 3. Golden State $144,375,501 4. Toronto $142,414,687 5. Houston $131,400,070 Apparently, Pat Riley and the Heat are committed to all their new contracts and to creating new ones. In a longer article on the Heat, Barry Jackson notes that "no one is untouchable" but current offers haven't been good enough: They are looking to add Wade which will push their numbers even higher, to say nothing for cutting into other's playing time. They need flexibility to offer a contract for Winslow or risk losing him. Everyone knows they need tax relief, so who's going to help them? This looks like a time bomb to me.
Offering a #1 pick and a multi year bad contract for Richardson ISN’T a good deal for Miami. They keep hoping for something to pop, someone internally to develop into an all star, or a surprise major free agent to go there... but it doesn’t seem likely. While Miami is more attractive than most cities, it isn’t as appealing as NY, LA or arguably SF, HOU or CHI. My guess is Riley sees what or who emerges during the season and then makes one last free agent push next summer.
Must be a nightmare for their owner, unless of course he can find a way to sell out every game. At least okc fans are loyal and will always show up.
That is not the Heat's correct team salary. That website is counting Chris Bosh's contract, and are off a little on several others. It's better to use BimaThug's recommended site -- spotrac.com. The Heat are #7 in the league at $131m https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cap/ -- click the "Total Cap" column to sort by descending salary 1 Oklahoma City Thunder $145,278,413 2 Golden State Warriors $143,642,848 3 Toronto Raptors $141,816,211 4 Washington Wizards $134,862,703 5 Houston Rockets $133,909,866 6 Portland Trail Blazers $131,638,623 7 Miami Heat $131,197,706
The Top 6 dudes are: Chris Bosh will come off the books. 2) Whiteside - He is getting older, should be let go 3) Tyler Johnson - Semi scrub who is a lesser guard version of Ryno, 19 million 4) Dragon - Not in the long term plans 5) James Johnson - useful, overpaid guy, without superstars useless 6) Dion Waiters - above average but for 12-13 million too much 7) Olynyk - could be replaced by a rookie or sophomore contract None are really exceptional.
The ticking time bomb is a combination of the age of their roster, their contracts and that they traded away two first round picks for Dragic. All of that is going to blow up in their face, Brooklyn style.
I don't see it as that bad of a situation. They are just now a overpriced team going nowhere. I think they owe only one more first rounder and they can trade away Whiteside. There are much worse situations around the league. At least they still are a great city with a good owner and a great coach.
I agree with this, it's like he went somehow crazy when Lebron left, felt disrespected and being too proud to let it go he wanted to show who's the boss...started with maxing Bosh and overpay mediocre to ok players one after another... In the end who knows, maybe the owner just dind't want to rebuild, that's also possible i guess, just think about Les...Riley still tried to sign a top free agent if i remeber well, tried with Durant, Griffin, Hayward, probably others...
My guess is Wade wants the FULL taxpayer MLE and the Heat are offering vet min (since they are in the LT). Basically Wade saying give me the FULL taxpayer MLE to come back or else I won't. Your move Riles.
Waiters is awful - even the version that isn't hurt and is in good shape. James Johnson is the only one I would be interested in.
Honestly, if this was anyone else not named Pat Riley they would be fired already. The contracts signed with these mid-tier role players are some of the worst in the league, no even factoring in what they did during 2016. I know part of it was to “spite” LeBron, but the Heat may have hamstrung themselves for a decade. Riley’s time with the Heat should be winding down but who knows with how the ownership is really passive about the situation. It’s like they got their rings for the next 20 years, and they are good with skating in the lower part of the Eastern Conference in a city some star will want to go to again... eventually.
Both the Heat and the Wizards need to get out of the luxury tax this season. Look for both of them to move off salary by the deadline. James Johnson and Dion Waiters for Knight/Chriss isn't going to get it done. NOBODY is going to take those extended deals without the Heat giving up an asset...period. It's a matter of how big an asset they have to give up versus how much assets they can get back. Right now, Heat negative value contracts are: 1. Whiteside 2. Waiters 3. Tyler Johnson 4. James Johnson Only way to move away from those deals and escape the luxury tax is to either A. take on a lower but longer term salary for a player either equal to or less than what they are trading out or B. send out at least one asset with the trade(s) that asset could be either a draft pick(s) or a young player like Winslow that has major upside. or C. some combination of A. and B. The only thing the Heat can hope is that they outperform and at least one or two of the above contracts gets shorter and also looks better by the deadline. I think they can pretty much write off that hope for Whiteside. He's just a doofus. Poor guy just ain't got it upstairs. Very childish. And I think they can pretty much write off Waiters showing anything. Waiters wouldn't know how to play efficient basketball if you put him in class with Steve Nash for 10 years. And he has no desire to be that guy. Waiters is World B. Free, Smush Parker, and Nick Young all rolled up into one turd. In short, he sux and always will. Those two guys.....Whiteside and Waiters....the Heat of NO HOPE of turning their trade value higher...only to let their contracts expire or take back worse long-term money. Tyler and James Johnson have a chance to improve their trade value. Tyler because of his age and James because he's a physical monster with skills to be a difference-maker on a playoff championship contender in need of a role player with nasty. But his contract.....by no means is it a positive. He's owed two more seasons after this one. Best the Heat can hope for there is neutral trade value. The Wizards....they're facing the repeaters luxury tax. And they're already losing money. They are doomed. LOL. They should really trade John Wall ........ if they could find a taker. Short of that, they need to move OPjr, but he's coming off hip surgery and is owed max money for several more seasons. And he's, at best, the third option, when healthy, and depends on other creators to get him shots. That's huge negative trade value, apologies to trey. Nobody wants him right now. Wiz can only hope he gets healthy and shows he still the same player. And then at that, he might move to neutral trade value. Both franchises going to have to make moves by the trade deadline. Watch.
Miami shouldn't even have a top 20 team salary, they don't have a single star player or anyone that's in that next level tier. They're a fringe playoff team in the East.
