The Heat will head into the offseason with a bevy of question marks after a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Sixers.
The franchise lacks the flexibility to add top talent with slightly over $116MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2018/19 season. That figure is already over the projected $101MM salary cap and dangerously close to the estimated $123MM luxury tax line.
If Miami is going to make any major changes, it’ll likely come via a trade with Hassan Whiteside coming to mind as a potential trade candidate after the big man was visibly frustrated with his role down the season’s final stretch. The big man is owed approximately $52.4MM over the next two seasons, though he has the option of hitting the market next summer if he so chooses.
Here’s more from Miami:
- Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade have not made their respective decisions to return to the Heat next season. The pair has long maintained that they’ve wanted to retire together and it’ll be something they discuss this offseason. “We’re going to have a lot of conversations this summer,” Haslam said (via Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald). “So we’ll figure it out.”
- One of the positives from the Heat’s playoff run is the development of Justise Winslow, as Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays. “Justise is doing whatever it takes. This is the moment you want Justise to do well on your team, this is the moment you want him. He’s a guy that has no ego. He’s going to play his heart out,” Wade said.
- Winslow was fined $15K for stepping on Joel Embiid‘s mask during Game 3, but the Heat never thought the wing’s behavior was a distraction, Winderman passes along in the same piece. “We talked to him about it,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We accept the fine. He accepts it. He’ll pay for it. It doesn’t add a distraction.”
Pretty disappointed with the Heat. Complete goonery. Wade too. Johnson should have been ejected. Dragic too. Play like this typically ends up with someone getting hurt, a la Vince Carter undercutting McCaw. Refs allowed it to continue.
The Heat visibly were clearly outmatched in their series versus the Sixers…
I mean, I’d be frustrated too, if I was getting oitmatched, outhustled, and simply outplayed, especially when my team is supposed to be the “veteran team.”
The Heat’s problems start and end with Dragic. He is not a guy you build your team around, plain and simple. He will certainly help your team win games, but he’s overpaid…Same for Whiteside…
They need to trade both guys, pick up a 1st rounder, and re-start trying to build a contender. The 1st round is this team’s current ceiling, and they don’t have the flexibility to get any better…
They have some solid, young pieces, but Dragic and Whiteside need to go, so they can reinvest that money elsewhere…
It’s not Dragic dude it’s Whiteside not playing up to his potential.
I did not notice the Heat playing dirty, at least more than NBA normal, but others have thought so, and it is certainly plausible. I’m not arguing that. Last year they got hot late by playing aggressively. But this year something happened with the defensive force in the middle.
Adebayo and Winslow are the future of the Heat. It’s time to cut ties with Whiteside, I always knew the dude was a flash in the pan. Good center but not great, Pat was out of his mind thinking he could average 25 ppg. The only players Miami should keep are Winslow,Richardson,Winslow, and Dragic.
JJ and Olynyk are solid role players, albeit overpaid. If they couldn’t move then that wouldn’t be the end of the world. Also what about Adebayo?
Adebayo is a beast, insanely athletic and has improved his post game. He’ll be everything the Heat wanted out of Whiteside next season, he runs the floor and can play the 4-5 and serve as rim protector. He’s got pretty good footwork in the post also, I’m certain he’ll add a go to turn around jumpshot to his game going into next season.
I think the Heat are going to find it hard to move Whiteside this summer. Not only is he on a big deal, he’s not the best fit in today’s NBA.
Not only that, but his attitude isn’t great… If I was a lumbering, poor-shooting, ball hog, stat-chasing centre like Hassan, I’d be keeping my mouth shut, cheering from the bench and laughing all the way to the bank. He said about his low minutes “We have one of the best centres in the League”. Who said that? I can think of about 18 starting centres I’d rather have on my team…
Whiteside would look good on the Spurs.