South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Cain forcing roster hand with strong preseason
This certainly is something the Miami Heat could not have envisioned during the preseason: A Jamal Cain problem. As in a good problem.
With the team’s roster constructed with an eye on avoiding the punitive NBA luxury tax, the Heat entered camp with essentially 14 players locked into standard contracts, as well as their two allowable two-way contracts assigned. In other words, case closed with the roster.
And then along came Cain, the undrafted wing from Oakland University and last season’s Co-Player of the Year in the Horizon League.
Yes, there were moments that tempted during summer league. But not enough to merit a two-way contract.
But now, with no room at the inn, the Heat seemingly will have to create a vacancy.
After a token appearance in the preseason-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at FTX Arena, Cain erupted for 15 points in Thursday night’s exhibition victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center and then 19 more in Friday night’s exhibition victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, all while filling out the rest of the box score and defending multiple positions.
In games that featured the likes of Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and Ja Morant, Cain stood toe-to-toe.
“He just has a way because of the way he’s wired,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat now off until Monday night’s home exhibition against the Houston Rockets. “He’s going to make multiple efforts. He’s going to use his athleticism out there.”
With the maturity of a player with four seasons at Marquette before his one at Oakland, Cain, 23, arrived with the confidence to attack his challenge.
“It feels good,” he said, “definitely raises my confidence more that I can play at this level. It feels good, it does.”
With the Heat loaded on the wing, starting with Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo and Max Strus, among others, Cain hardly stands at a position of need. But
his ability to play off rotation players without needing play calls the past two games also leaves him as a viable supporting element.
So what next? Once the Heat reupped with veteran captain Udonis Haslem for a 20th season, the options became somewhat limited.
Among them:
Sub out one of the two two-way players, guard Marcus Garrett or forward Darius Days, with Cain on such a deal. Cain’s Exhibit 10 tryout contract allows for such a shift. To this point, neither Garrett nor Days have distinguished themselves during the preseason. Such a move would come with no impact on the salary cap, allowing Cain to appear in up to 50 games during the regular season.
Eat the $50,000 guarantee on Haywood Highsmith’s contract and instead sign Cain to a standard deal. This would also keep the Heat under the luxury tax, but appears highly unlikely considering the Heat’s respect for Haywood and the forward’s solid performance during the decisive stages of Friday’s victory.
Sign Cain now and worry about the luxury tax later, with NBA payroll tax accounting not finalized until season’s end.
Make a trade that either lowers the overall tax position or creates an open roster spot. At the moment, in light of the Heat’s limited trade assets, such an option appears unlikely.
Should the Heat make the move that seemingly had been planned, waiving Cain and then directly assigning him to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, he then would be eligible to be claimed off waivers or signed by any NBA team.
The Heat previously have attempted to maneuver such neophyte preseason standouts to their G League team in South Dakota only to lose them to other teams.
For now, Cain is doing the best to try to force the Heat’s hand toward something substantive.
“I have the confidence that I’ll meet this challenge,” he said. “I’ve been meeting challenges my whole life. My whole basketball journey has been this whole process. I’m kind of good with it, knowing I have to start off at a low point and have to work my way up. I have no problem doing that.”