SunSentinel-Haslem: Heat's Mike Miller sidelined by hernia surgery

by Ira Winderman South Florida Sun Sentinel

MIAMI—

The issue about whether the Miami Heat might cast aside Mike Miller under the league's one-time amnesty policy might already have been decided by the 3-point specialist and his balky body.

Forward Udonis Haslem, Miller's closest friend on the team, revealed at Thursday's informal workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena, the first time Heat players have been allowed back at the team's facilities since the July 1 start of the lockout, that Miller recently underwent hernia surgery.

Already on the way back from offseason thumb and shoulder surgeries, Miller said recently he finally felt that he had turned the corner on his injury issues.

Now, the Heat has yet another issue to deal with, at the same time it is in possession of the new, one-time allowance to release a player without incurring salary-cap or luxury-tax penalties. As part of the expected-to-be-ratified new collective-bargaining agreement, the amnesty provision can only be utilized once per team during over the course of the CBA.

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Haslem said he was surprised to learn of the latest setback of his former University of Florida roommate.

"He said he was working out and got a little pain," Haslem said, with Miller not in attendance at Thursday's session. "He said he didn't think it was that serious. I guess it ended being a lot more serious than what he thought it would be."

Haslem said Miller, who missed the first half of last season with a thumb injury not related to the thumb issue that led to his offseason surgery, thought he was past his injury woes.

"I called him the next day after I heard about it. I didn't even know about it," Haslem said. "So I think he might have had surgery on Sunday. I talked to him on Monday, but I talked to him on Sunday, he didn't even tell me. That's the kind of guy Mike is, he's not going to let me worry about that."

For the Heat, it is now a significant worry, which will lead to a significant decision. Miller has four seasons left on the five-year contract he signed to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the 2010 offseason.

iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-mike-miller-s120111,0,3622.story