Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Facing a choice
Heat to consider extending Justise Winslow contract.
MIAMI — Justise Winslow knows. “One more year under contract,” he said as playoff elimination turned to the reality of the most meaningful offseason of his pro career, “so we’ll see how it goes from there.”
Where the Miami Heat will go is back to the team’s salary ledger to determine how immediate and how lucrative their next move with the 2015 first-round pick will be.
Before this past season, the Heat picked up Winslow’s $3.4 million rookiescale option for the coming season. The next decision is whether to extend Winslow in the window between July 1 and the 2018-19 regular-season opener, or allow him to become a restricted free agent a year from now.
With so many offseason salary-cap concerns — including the contracts of Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson and the free agency of Wayne Ellington and Dwyane Wade — expect the Winslow deliberations to move to the backburner.
But after a solid close to the regular season and strong playoff performance, there now is more to weigh than simply sending the 6-foot-7 forward to the market in 2019, with the right to then match outside offers.
“He played every single role for us, which was not easy,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Winslow’s versatility, “and played his best basketball toward the end, the last six weeks. That is something we feel very excited about.”
After missing the second half of 2016-17 following shoulder surgery, Winslow ap-
peared in all but 14 games this season, then led the Heat with his 6.6 rebounds per game during the playoffs.
“It’s been a long ride, ups and downs,” he said of going from a starter at the end of the 2016 playoffs to forgotten man in 2016-17 and then the revival at the end of this past season. “Definitely played better the second half of the season and in the playoffs. Just going to try to keep getting better, learn from this season, see how I can help this team win.”
And that is a factor, as well — just how essential Winslow is to the mix going forward, and at what position.
“I really enjoyed playing point guard,” he said, “and I think that’s something as the offseason goes on I’ll sit down and talk to Spo more about.
“I think I’m vocal enough to take on that responsibility at the point guard position, getting guys in the right spots, understanding what everybody is trying to do out there, any given set.”
Based on the current composition of the roster, without a true backup point guard behind Goran Dragic, the Heat’s starting center at the end of the 2016 playoffs could be a point guard at the start of 2017-18.
“As far as the offseason,” he said, “continue to work my ball handling for those point guard responsibilities.”
The comfort of such a possibility is what makes this summer decidedly more promising than a year ago, no matter where the extension negotiation might head.
“I’m in a much better state mentally than I was a year ago,” he said of shoulder rehabilitation that carried well into the offseason. “But none of these things are easy, dealing with stuff throughout this year, just the mental aspect of the NBA is tough and you’ve seen a lot of guys speaking out about it.
“But it’s a much better feeling. I would rather still be in the playoffs, but making the playoffs and being healthy is a way better way to enter the offseason than last year.”
So is ending amid the confidence of a solid personal finish to his third season.
“I think it was just finding rhythm, finding confidence and going from there,” Winslow said of the closing revival. “I don’t think it was one day or one thing that changed it. Just staying with it, staying with the process, continue to get better very day, eventually things swung in my favor.”