Heat Notes: Cap Space, Tyler Johnson, James, Wade

The Heat are looking at a potential salary crunch in the 2018 offseason, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The NBA informed teams this week that the salary cap is projected to rise to $101MM next season, an increase of about $7MM, but will only go up to $102MM the following year. That’s a concern to the Heat because of the offer sheet they matched for Tyler Johnson last summer. Johnson’s cap hit will increase from $5.9MM next season to $19.2MM in 2018/19 and 2019/20. That will not only squeeze the Heat’s cap room next summer, it may affect their strategy for this offseason.

Miami expects to have roughly $36MM available once Chris Bosh‘s $25.3MM salary is removed for medical reasons. The Heat have $49.4MM committed to four players for next season, and Josh McRoberts has a $6MM player option that could push that figure to $55.4MM. In addition, there are team options that will probably be exercised on Josh Richardson, Rodney McGruder and Okaro White, which would increase the total salary to $59.5MM. Four cap holds will add $3.3MM, and possibly more depending on where the team drafts. Miami also has a $6.3MM team option on Wayne Ellington that could cut into cap space, as could the desire to keep free agents Dion Waiters and James Johnson.

• Tyler Johnson is trying to prove he’s worth his four-year, $50MM deal, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. In his first season under the new contract, the third-year combo guard is posting career highs in points (13.6 points per game), rebounding (4.0) and assists (3.2). His scoring average is second to to the Thunder’s Enes Kanter among players who haven’t started a game. “I’m trying to find that consistent balance of being a dependable player every single game,” Johnson said. “I know where I want to get to as a player and this is just a stepping stone of where I can be at. I know there is a huge ceiling I can get to. This year, what I’m most proud of is trying to figure out ways to try to get there. Before, it was just a dream. Now I understand how to get there.”
• LeBron James was reportedly working on the 2014 Sports Illustrated piece announcing his return to Cleveland as then-Miami teammate Dwyane Wade sat just a few feet away. Details of that incident are part of a new book, “Return of the King” by Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin and were shared by Anthony Barstow of The New York Post. According to the authors, James was revising the article as the two stars were flying from Las Vegas to Miami on a Nike-owned jet.