Don deal; a deal that the phoenix had been waiting for years has been completed
The Miami Heat are building their roster now that Dion Waiters has agreed to return on a four-year contract. James Johnson’s anticipated return will come next.
According to reports, waiters will sign for about $52 million, including incentives. The agreement with the team’s starting shooting guard should be reached tonight or no later than Friday, as the five and a half-day moratorium that preceded free agency ended at noon on Thursday.
Although updates on the Johnson negotiations came much more slowly, a deal is anticipated, and the team should make an official announcement by Friday.
But because of the Chris Bosh situation, the Heat are in a special position with regard to their cap money. Bosh’s blood-clot problems are deemed career-ending, according to an NBA doctor who ruled in favor of the Heat, allowing them to waive the player and avoid paying cap penalties.
However, since Bosh was cut on Tuesday, the Heat cannot begin using the $25.3 million that was released from the cap until 5 p.m. today, as that is when the waiver period officially ends on Thursday.
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The Heat may still have between $10 million and $12 million in cap space after waiving forward Josh McRoberts, which would add an additional $4 million, depending on how the Waiters and Johnson deals begin.
Should the Heat decide to exercise its $6.3 million team option, a sizable portion could be utilized to re-sign guard Wayne Ellington. Ellington can walk and become a free agent if Miami decides to do so by the end of the day on Friday.
The Heat’s other choice is to sign Waiters and Johnson and then use all of their remaining cap space to sign one of the best free agents still available.
Small forward Rudy Gay, swingman Tyreke Evans, shooting guard Monta Ellis, power forward Ersan Ilyasova, and shooting guard C.J. Miles were among them.
Miami also needs to decide what to do with its other free agents, which include forwards Luke Babbitt and Udonis Haslem and center Willie Reed.
It’s likely that Babbitt will return on a minimum deal, Haslem will likely return for his 15th season with the Heat on the veteran minimum of $2.3 million, and Reed will likely find a better offer elsewhere.
When it is exhausted, Miami will also have a $4.3 million exception available.
Pat Riley will ultimately be able to carry out his Plan B after missing out on the Gordon Hayward sweepstakes. After hearing on Tuesday that Hayward would be signing with Boston, Riley took action. Hayward met with representatives from the Heat, Celtics, and Jazz prior to making his choice.
The waiters’ agreement was reached on Wednesday, which freed the Heat to focus on Johnson. Talks between the two parties went on, with Johnson never threatening to sign with someone else.
