Heat shooting guard Dion Waiters is currently serving his third team-imposed suspension this season, but any attempt by the team’s management to terminate his contract would likely prove unsuccessful, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel details.
Waiters’ latest ban was announced on Thursday, a six-game suspension for failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules, and continued insubordination. He previously served one-game and 10-game suspensions.
Waiters has lost nearly $83,500 for each game he’s missed but he’ll still receive the bulk of his $12.1MM contract barring any further discipline. He’s also guaranteed $12.7MM in the final year of his four-year contract next season.
The Heat could attempt to terminate Waiters’ contract under a clause in the CBA — Paragraph 16 A1 of the NBA’s Uniform Player Contract, Winderman relays. It states:
“The Team may terminate this Contract upon written notice to the Player if the Player shall: (i) at any time, fail, refuse, or neglect to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined here to mean not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not such acts would constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship, to keep himself in first class physical condition, or to obey the Team’s training rules.”
However, if the Heat’s front office pursues that option, Waiters’ representatives and the Players’ Association would undoubtedly file a grievance against that action. Attempts to terminate player contracts in the past have failed and the Players’ Association has already appealed the monetary penalties of Waiters’ first two suspensions, Winderman notes.
Pursuing the termination option could also impact the franchise negatively in other ways. Future free agents might be less inclined to sign with the team if the Heat plays hardball with Waiters, Winderman adds.
The Heat could waive Waiters and eat the remainder of his contract or attempt a buyout. There’s little incentive for Waiters to pursue the latter, considering his tarnished reputation. He’s eligible to return on December 27, though coach Erik Spoelstra has not used Waiters when he’s been available.
He seems like a gem.
Why buy him out? Keep suspending him.
What exactly did he do for the first and third suspensions? I know the reason for the second suspension.
Broke team rules. When you sign a contract you are agreeing to not only play, but also to obey the rules set forth by the franchise. If you don’t want to follow the team rules, you don’t have to sign with them.
It’s like players for the Yankees that have to agree to shave when they sign their deal with them. If you don’t like the rule, then don’t sign with that team.
Hopefully the players association will get his money back, as of now unless Miami proofs otherwise it seems they are just suspending him only to not pay the man, embarrassing situation that a rich franchise like Miami shouldn’t be involved in, really!
I sure wonder if Miami can “proofs” anything.
As usual IslandFlava, you make no sense at all.
What is the benefit to the Heat to keep suspending him? His contract still counts the same against the cap. While they save money on the fines, I am sure they would rather pay Waiters $83K a game and have him contributing.
You also notice that he has not been in the lineup for much of the season, yet the Heat are a top 3 team in the East. Feel like this guy is a cancer, which has been said him previously.
Rehab and rejuvenate his image and then get what you can in trade. Circulate stories about how he just needs to find the right “fit” to excel.
I actually think the case for the Heat is pretty flimsy, unless they actually document some proof. This will make 17 suspension games at $83k that adds up especially for a tax paying team. You would have to ask Luke if these suspension games are deducted from the tax, if so I would be very suspicious.
No tax breaks for Miami as a result of these suspensions.
Suspensions handed down by the NBA can result in modest tax savings, but the same isn’t true of suspensions from a team, since that could be too easily taken advantage of.
Thank you Luke!
Miami should just waive him and stretch his salary. They won’t be able to trade him after all this mess, and the situation is bad for everyone and a distraction for a team that otherwise is thriving.
Why should they reward his bad behavior? If he can’t adhere to the rules that he agreed to when he signed his deal, then he deserves whatever punishment that is dealt out.
People can’t just go to their boss and say, “I’ve proven I’m not going to obey your rules, so just let me go and pay me anyway.” Well, they can, but it ‘s not likely to be successful.
It’s not a matter of rewarding Waiter’s misbehavior: Miami should waive him in their own interest as they really don’t need all this drama. At this point it seems unlikely that Spoelstra is going to play Waiters again, even if he stops doing silly things. He still has one year and a half in his contract and they are not going to find any taker. As I said he is going to be nothing but a distraction and a source of conflict. Just cut him and move on. Anyway, Waiters has damaged his reputation so badly that I don’t think you can call it a “reward”.
People cant curse their bosses and supervisors out and keep their jobs, either – let alone make 83k every day they come to work while they’re doin it. I get your point but, respectfully, don’t compare everyday jobs to professional sports/athletes.
Other than in an internet comment section, there’s no correlation.
Was a big Fan, not even close at this point.
Heat have been more than fair with him for 3 years when no else would step up. About $50M worth of fair.
He knew exactly what was expected of him when he signed the contract.
Riley is fully up front. Also holds players fully accountable.
Waiters choose to violate the rules because he thought he could get away with it, wrong.
Now he’s paying for it in cash and reputation as well.
Should bet on himself one more time. Void last year of contract, get Heat to pay this year in full. Get traded on an expiring deal.
Prove he’s better than this.
He’s still young and will get another big payday.
Wish him all the best, elsewhere.
While I’m sure that Waiters has not been the perfect employee in all of this, I’m also certain the Heat aren’t being 100% honest and forthright.
The Heat “culture” is a product of Pat Riley, a man who has been described as both tyrannical and selfish. He’s the same guy that quit on the Lakers and the Knicks, and he’s also the same guy that forced Stan Van Gundy out once it was clear the team was a contender…And then went back to his front office job to avoid coaching a rebuilding team after getting another ring.
Suffice to say, if Pat Riley doesn’t like Waiters, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s known to hold grudges, and he’s publicly admitted to being angry with LeBron and Wade, which is crazy when you think about it.
Basically, I don’t believe Pat Riley can be fair. His history all but proves as much.
Waiters wasn’t tradable anyway, before all this… they tried to. But, his salary was too much.
None of this matters. Miami is likely better off without him at this point but would like to nullify his contract and money owed him. Of course, Riley won’t act to increase salary to rookie-scalers Nunn, Robinson, Adebayo, Herro or Silva.
Just tell Waiters to go home, like the Cavs did with JR Smith. Smith probably did worse.
He’s best suited on a team that lacks depth or talent. He’s a chucker and always will be. Game lacks discipline. I was kind of shocked he got the contract he got. Honestly the Heat’s plan for LeBron-less years with contracts has been puzzling. They havent been able to trade Waiters since they signed him. Sixers were smart when they did the RoCo contract, they extended him and paid him more in his 1st year of that extension using cap space, made his contract very palatable. I wouldn’t call any vet on their roster an asset in a trade, most are salary dumps at this point. They’ll make the playoffs and put up a solid effort but I think 1st round exit again.