Heat GM Discusses Free Agency, Bryant, Roster, Burks, Butler

The Heat have been relatively quiet this offseason, other than re-signing some of their own free agents. That’s by necessity, rather than by design, general manager Andy Elisburg told the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang and other media members.

The Heat’s in-season trade with the Hornets for Terry Rozier, in which they dealt Kyle Lowry‘s $29.7MM expiring contract and a future first-rounder, essentially eliminated any salary cap flexibility. That transaction put them above the first apron this summer, limiting them to the $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum contracts to offer outside free agents.

“The focus was going to be a little bit more on the draft opportunities and then maybe some other smaller opportunities,” Elisburg said. “Either A, retaining our own free agents, or B, the minimums or some small exception transactions. So that’s how I think we went into the summer with we’re more focused on these types of transactions, maybe not as much on these others, because we’re less likely to be able to do those kinds of transactions.”

Miami wound up re-signing Haywood Highsmith and Kevin Love via Bird and Early Bird rights, respectively, and getting Thomas Bryant back on a minimum deal. The only outside free agent signed was guard Alec Burks, who took the veteran’s minimum.

Here’s more from Elisburg’s media session:

• Bryant only appeared in 38 games last season but the Heat wanted depth in the middle despite drafting another big man Kel’el Ware. “Thomas filled that space of having another center onto the roster,” Elisburg said. “You’re having to balance your various needs of the roster.”
• The Heat have a 14-man roster and don’t plan on adding a 15th man, at least not until January when a prorated signing would still keep them below the second tax apron. Miami does not want to exceed that apron. “I think we don’t want to have our hands tied,” Elisburg said. “I think we want to still be flexible, so if there’s an opportunity to make an improvement to the team, so you have a little bit more flexibility to do that. I think there are some teams who are over the second apron who feel that their team is in a place to be able to do that.”
• Coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley have expressed a fondness for Burks over the years and were glad to get him at a reduced price. “It was always in my group of players in that list that came through,” Elisburg said. “So it’s been for a number of years having that conversion. So when the opportunity came this year that he was willing to come to us and willing to come to us at a minimum, we could finally get Alec Burks here.”
• In a separate interview with Sirius XM, Elisburg addressed Jimmy Butler‘s contract situation. Butler is eligible to sign a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113MM but Butler intends to play this upcoming season without signing an extension in hopes of getting a max contract next summer. He would decline his $52.4MM option for the 2025/26 season and become a free agent to make that happen. “As Pat said at his press conference, it doesn’t have to be something you do now,” Elisburg said. “You have an opportunity to do this all year long, so there’s an opportunity to do it at some point in time. And there’s an opportunity if he becomes a free agent next year to sit down and do a contract at that point in time. So there’s always an opportunity to do it.” Riley expressed concerns with Butler’s injury issues during his postseason press conference.