Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Miami Heat.
Signings:
Standard contracts:
- Wayne Ellington: One year, $6.27MM. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Derrick Jones: Two years, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Udonis Haslem: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Dwyane Wade: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Charles Cooke: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Marcus Lee: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- DeAndre Liggins: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Malik Newman: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Rodney Purvis: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Raphiael Putney: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Jarnell Stokes: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Briante Weber: One year, minimum salary (waived).
Trades:
- None
Draft picks:
- None
Contract extensions:
- Justise Winslow: Signed three-year, $39MM extension. Third-year team option. Starts in 2019/20.
Departing players:
- Luke Babbitt
- Jordan Mickey
- Derrick Walton (two-way)
Other offseason news:
- Exercised 2019/20 team option on Bam Adebayo.
- Hired former NBA guard Anthony Carter as player development coach.
- Restructured front office.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $130MM in guaranteed salaries.
- Projected tax bill of $9.72MM.
- Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.34MM) still available.
Check out the Miami Heat’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
Although trade rumors surrounded players like Hassan Whiteside, Dion Waiters, and Tyler Johnson for much of the offseason, the Heat’s summer was ultimately a quiet one.
Pat Riley and his front office didn’t have any draft picks and didn’t make any trades. The only four NBA free agents the Heat signed (Wayne Ellington, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Derrick Jones) were under contract with the team last season, and of those four players, only one (Jones) will earn noticeably more than he did last season, getting a bump from a two-way contract to the NBA veteran’s minimum.
Given the Heat’s relative inactivity, it was a move that didn’t get made that turned out to be the story of the team’s summer — or, more accurately, the fall. When Jimmy Butler‘s trade request went public in September, Miami quickly emerged as his top suitor, reportedly dangling a package that included Josh Richardson, a protected first-round pick, and Waiters for the All-NBA swingman.
The Heat and Timberwolves appeared multiple times to be on the verge of a deal, even exchanging medical information on the players involved in the proposed swap. However, Tom Thibodeau and the Wolves reportedly got cold feet, and Butler remains in Minnesota with each team’s regular season schedule now set to get underway.
The Wolves know that Butler doesn’t plan to re-sign with them next season, meaning it’s virtually inevitable that a deal will happen before the 2019 deadline. If and when it does, the Heat are in prime position to be the team on the other end of that trade. If Miami can land Butler, it won’t technically be an offseason move, but it would represent a significant roster shakeup for a club that essentially stood pat over the summer.
Standard contracts:
Standard contracts:
When analyzing the most important offseason additions, one can’t overlook the change at head coach for the Bucks, who brought in Mike Budenholzer to replace Joe Prunty following Jason Kidd‘s in-season dismissal. Budenholzer established himself as one of the elite coaches in the league during his tenure with the Hawks, using a combination of ball movement, modern floor-spacing, and tough defense to win games.
Standard contracts:
Key offseason additions: