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A look at the key offseason moves and changes for every team in the league. Next up are the Miami Heat.

OFFSEASON ADDITIONS
Free agents
Hassan Whiteside
Tyler Johnson
Wayne Ellington
Derrick Williams
James Johnson
Udonis Haslem
Dion Waiters
Willie Reed
Beno Udrih
Rodney McGruder
Okaro White
Stefan Jankovic

Trade
Luke Babbitt

A look at the key offseason moves and changes for every team in the league. Next up are the Miami Heat.

THE REWIND
The Hassan Whiteside domino effect
When free agency began, center Hassan Whiteside was the top priority for the Heat.

The intrigue was in how the team would juggle the salary cap to afford Whiteside.

The Heat had Whiteside’s early Bird rights, but Miami needed to carve out a $22 million max salary slot for him and also have enough flexibility to bring back Dwyane Wade.

Once Whiteside committed to Miami, the picture was clear on the cap space available: $19 million.

On the clock with cap space
With Whiteside back, the Heat faced a balancing act and time crunch with their remaining cap space.

While Wade remained a priority for Heat management, Miami faced a dilemma with restricted free agent Tyler Johnson.

Johnson, coming of an injury-plagued season, was presented with a $50 million offer sheet from Brooklyn, forcing the Heat’s hand and risking the remaining cap space to be reduced by $5 million.

The Heat, with 72 hours to make a decision on the Johnson offer sheet, had several options:

1. Use the remaining room on Wade and then match the Nets’ offer sheet.

2. Part with Wade, use the $19 million in cap space and match the offer sheet.

3. Sign Wade to a long-term contract starting at $19 million and not match the offer sheet.

When the dust settled, Wade signed with Chicago and Miami was forced to go with the second option.

Picking up the pieces
Miami took a short-term approach with its remaining cap space.

Before the Johnson offer sheet was matched, Miami signed free agents Wayne Ellington, Derrick Williams, James Johnson and Udonis Haslem to one-year contracts. Ellington’s deal is non-guaranteed in 2017-18.

Though each contract is deemed as a placeholder to retain future flexibility, each player – along with recently signed Dion Waiters – should keep the Heat treading water this season.

For Miami to remain competitive and have any chance at a playoff spot, it needs All-Star Chris Bosh.

But after missing the second half of the season for the second straight year, his status remains unclear.

CAP BREAKDOWN
Player 2016
1. Chris Bosh $23,741,060
2. Hassan Whiteside $22,116,750
3. Goran Dragic $15,891,725
4. Wayne Ellington $6,000,000
5. Josh McRoberts $5,782,450
6. Tyler Johnson $5,628,000
7. Derrick Williams $4,598,000
8. James Johnson $4,000,000
9. Udonis Haslem $4,000,000
10. Dion Waiters $2,898,000
11. Justise Winslow $2,593,440
12. Willie Reed $1,015,696
13. Luke Babbitt $1,227,286
14. Beno Udrih $980,431
15. Josh Richardson $874,636

Partial/non-guaranteed
16. Briante Weber $874,636
17. Rodney McGruder $543,471
18. Okaro White $543,471
19. Stefan Jankovic $543,471

Salary table 2016
Guaranteed salaries $102,025,463
Dead money $0
Non-guaranteed $1,827,060
Tax variance $1,416,675
Free-agent cap holds $0
Incomplete roster charge $0
Salaries: cap $103,852,523
Salaries: tax $105,269,198
Salary cap $94,143,000
Luxury tax $113,287,000
Cap space None ($9,709,523 over)
Tax room $8,017,802

RESTRICTIONS
Free agents signed in the offseason cannot be traded until either Dec. 15, Jan. 15 or for three months if they signed after Sept. 15.

Whiteside, Ellington, Williams, James Johnson, Haslem, Waiters, Wille Reed, Beno Udrih, Rodney McGruder, Okaro White and Stefan Jankovic cannot be traded until Dec. 15.

Tyler Johnson is not eligible to be traded until Jan. 15 because his current salary exceeds his previous by more than 20 percent.

Johnson also has a 15 percent trade bonus valued at $4.6 million.

Because Johnson’s offer sheet was matched, he cannot be traded to Brooklyn during the season and must consent to any trade to the other 28 teams.

EXTENSION CANDIDATES
Rookie
None

Veteran
None

DEPTH CHART
Starter Bench Bench
PG Goran Dragic Tyler Johnson Beno Udrih/Briante Weber
SG Dion Waiters Josh Richardson Wayne Ellington/Rodney McGruder
SF Justise Winslow Derrick Williams James Johnson/Okaro White
PF Chris Bosh Josh McRoberts Udonis Haslem/Luke Babbitt
C Hassan Whiteside Willie Reed Stefan Jankovic

Miami has 15 guaranteed contracts and four players with non-guaranteed deals: McGruder, White, Jankovic and Briante Weber.

With a strong development program at the Heat’s NBA Development League team in Sioux Falls, all four players could find a home in the D-League if they do not earn roster spots.

SNEAK PEEK TO NEXT SUMMER
Miami has the ability to create cap space and next summer should be no different.

Currently slated to have $18 million in room, the Heat, with $84 million owed on eight guaranteed contracts, could see that room grow because of player options for Waiters, Willie Reed and Josh McRoberts.

KEEP AN EYE ON
The 2017 first-round pick
With the Wade departure, a roster constructed with placeholders – players signed to a one-year deals – and the uncertain future of Bosh, the Heat can go one or two ways.

If Bosh can return to the court and play at an All-Star level, and Goran Dragic can perform like he did in Phoenix, the Heat can compete for one of the top playoff spots in the East. If not, the Heat could be in the lottery.

Because of depleted assets from the Dragic trade (2018 and 2021 first-round picks to the Suns), next year’s draft could be the perfect opportunity to add a special talent in the lottery.

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