Miami lacks financial flexibility
The Post’s examination of the Heat’s roster looks at the team’s guards.
The Heat entered the offseason with a lot
MIAMI — of questions surrounding their roster and very little financial flexibility to make significant changes. Miami has 10 players under contract for 2018-19 who are due $119 million. That puts the Heat way above the projected $101 million salary cap and very close to the projected $123 million luxury tax line.
Here’s what the Heat have to work with this offseason, with a player-by-player breakdown. Today we look at the team’s guards:
GORAN DRAGIC
Age: 31.
Season stats: Averaged a team-high 17.3 points on 45.0 percent shooting from the field to go with 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the regular season to earn his first All-Star Game appearance. He also led the Heat in scoring in the playoffs, with 18.6 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting. But he scored just a total of 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting in the fourth quarter in the postseason.
Contract status: Set to make $18.1 million in 2018-19 on a contract that includes a player option worth $19.2 million for 2019-20 (the final season of his deal).
What to know? Dragic is the Heat’s most reliable and consistent player. He’s arguably the best on a starless roster, and that’s good enough to make the playoffs. But the Heat aren’t going to make a deep
playoff run with Dragic as their top player. So is it time to trade him? Miami can still use Dragic, and his contract isn’t a bad one. However, if dealing Dragic is going to help Miami’s long-term future, it will probably be explored. That’s the only way he’s not back next season.
WAYNE ELLINGTON Age: 30.
Season stats: Averaged 11.2 points and shot 39.2 percent from 3-point range in 77 regular-season games. He set a new career-high and team record for threes made in a season with 227 shots from beyond the arc. Ellington averaged 7.8 points and shot 40.0 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs.
Contract status: Set to become unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Heat have Ellington’s early Bird rights, which allows Miami to exceed the cap to pay him 175 percent of his current $6.27 million salary. That means the Heat can offer Ellington a deal starting at $10.9 million next season with raises to come. But re-signing Ellington to this type of deal would likely put the Heat in the luxury tax if other salary can’t be shed, which is an issue.
What to know? The Heat want to keep Ellington and Ellington wants to stay in Miami. But it’s not that easy. The challenge here involves the luxury tax. Signing Ellington to a starting salary of $10.9 million would put the Heat about $8 million over the tax line. In order to avoid it, the Heat will have to find a way to create more room under the tax. And the only way to do that is through trades. Ellington’s 3-point shooting is valuable, and the Heat are expected to try to keep him. But it’s hard to see Miami going into the luxury tax to field a team that’s far away from title contention. It’s going to take some maneuvering to make room.
TYLER JOHNSON
Age: 25.
Season stats: Averaged 11.7 points on 43.5 percent shooting, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 72 regular-season games (39 starts). In the playoffs, Johnson averaged 8.0 points on 53.8 percent shooting as he played through a left thumb injury suffered in Game 3 against the 76ers.
Contract status: Set to make $19.2 million in 201819, which is the third year of a four-year deal he signed with the Heat in the summer of 2016. Johnson has a player option worth $19.2 million in 2019-20.
What to know? This contract is about to get expensive. After making $5.9 million in 2017-18, Johnson’s cap number spikes to $19.2 million next season. It’s going to be extremely difficult to move this contract, as he’s set to become the team’s second-highest-paid player behind only Hassan Whiteside. But that doesn’t mean Miami won’t try. Unless the Heat are willing to get a bad contract in return or include one of their young assets like Bam Adebayo, Justise Winslow and/or Josh Richardson in a deal, it’s hard to imagine any team willing to take on Johnson’s salary.
RODNEY MCGRUDER Age: 26.
Season stats: Averaged 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 18 regular-season games. He missed the first 60 games after undergoing preseason surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia.
Contract status: His $1.5 million salary is non-guaranteed in 2018-19, which is the final season on the three-year contract he signed in the summer of 2016. The Heat have until June 30 to guarantee McGruder’s 2018-19 salary.
What to know? Ona Heat roster that includes a few questionable contracts, McGruder has one of the most team-friendly deals. Miami will almost certainly guarantee his contract for 201819 by the deadline. An injury derailed McGruder’s season this year, but a full offseason and preseason could put him back in the Heat’s rotation next fall. As part of a crowded wing depth chart that includes Tyler Johnson, Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow — and possibly Dwyane Wade and Wayne Ellington — McGruder will have to earn his minutes. Even if a consistent role isn’t in his future, the contract is too good not to guarantee.
JOSH RICHARDSON Age: 24.
Season stats: Averaged career highs in points (12.9 points), rebounds (3.5), assists (2.9), steals (1.5) and blocks (0.9) in 81 regular-season games. Richardson also proved one of the league’s top perimeter defenders.
Contract status: Set to make $9.4 million in 2018-19 as part of the four-year, $42 million extension he signed last offseason. The extension begins in 2018-19. Richardson is due $10.1 million in 201920, $10.9 million in 2020-21 and has a player option worth $11.6 million in 2021-22.
What to know? Richardson’s contract has good value. The Heat have a young player who has continued to improve him on both ends of the floor under a palatable contract for the next four seasons. That’s a good thing. It doesn’t make sense for the Heat to deal him, unless they’re required to include him in a trade to move one of their bad contracts or the deal brings back a big-time star. At this price point, Richardson is an asset the Heat must make the most of — whether that means continuing to develop him or including him in the right trade.
DWYANE WADE
Age: 36.
Season stats: After being traded back to the Heat in February, Wade averaged 12.0 points on 40.9 percent shooting, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 21 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he averaged 16.6 points on 44.3 percent shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Wade was the only Heat player to record a positive plus-minus in the postseason.
Contract status: Set to become unrestricted free agent on July 1.
What to know? Wade can still play. That was obvious in the playoffs, when he looked like the Heat’s best player at times. But Wade has made it clear that he will consider retirement this offseason. If he does keep playing, it will be with the Heat. But what can Miami offer him as it hovers around the luxury tax? Probably just a minimum contract or the exception it gets — either the $5.4 million taxpayer mid-level exception or the $8.8 million mid-level exception. There is the question of fit on this roster, too. Dion Waiters is expected to return from ankle surgery for the start of the season. Add Wade to the list of guards and Erik Spoelstra is going to have a hard time finding minutes for all of those wings.
DION WAITERS
Age: 26.
Season stats: Averaged 14.3 points on 39.8 percent shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 30 games before ankle surgery.
Contract status: Set to make $11.6 million in 2018-19, which is the second year of a four-year, $52 million freeagent deal he signed with the Heat last summer. Waiters is due $12.1 million in 2019-20 and $12.7 million in 2020-21.
What to know? Before Waiters went down, he was the Heat’s starting shooting guard. He’s one of the only players on the roster who can create his own offense consistently, but the Heat would like to see him do it more efficiently. Is this a good or bad contract? Nobody really knows yet because Waiters’ ankle seemed to bother him even when he was playing and it eventually cut his year short. It will be difficult to trade Waiters this offseason because of that uncertainty. Year 1 of the deal wasn’t what the Heat envisioned, but they hope they will get a healthy and effective Waiters for the final three years. DERRICK WALTON JR.
Age: 23.
Season stats: The twoway contract player averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 assist in 16 games with the Heat. Walton averaged 16.1 points and 7.0 assists in 27 games with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Contract status: Set to become unrestricted free agent on July 1. Eligible to sign another two-way contract.
What to know? There are just too many guards on the roster to even think about signing Walton to a standard minimum contract. Walton was a G League standout, but he didn’t do much on the NBA level as a rookie. Another developmental season as a two-way player in the Heat’s system probably would be good for both sides.