Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng To Decide If They Will Return to the Miami Heat
By Wes Goldberg
The Miami Heat will know how to approach free agency when they learn if Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng will opt out and become free agents Monday night.
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Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng will decide whether or not they will become unrestricted free agents at midnight on Monday, their deadline to exercise their opt-ins in their contracts with the Miami Heat.*
As has been reported, Wade will likely opt out of his $16.1 million salary next season and seek to re-sign a long-term deal with the Heat. Though he’s prepared to find such a deal elsewhere should Miami refuse to bite.
While Wade’s potential (probable?) free agency has been widely reported on and speculated about, Deng’s remains much more of a mystery.
Deng is due $10.1 million next season, and he probably won’t command that on the open market after a down season. However, he could choose to opt out and sign a longer term deal either in Miami or elsewhere. If Deng opts out, the Heat would more than likely have to go into the luxury tax to re-sign him, barring any trades to ship out salary.
It’s unclear what Deng’s intentions are, but the Heat would be better off if he opted in despite some fans being disappointed with his play last season. Erik Spoelstra, too, wants him back.
Mar 13, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat forward Luol Deng (9) reacts to a call to referee John Goble (30) against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Heat 102-92. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
If both Wade and Deng opt out, the Heat would have plenty of cap space to chase a high-tier free agent such as Jimmy Butler or Khris Middleton. But that’s the disaster scenario.
If Wade opts in and Deng opts out, the Heat would still need to clear some space by trading away one or two of Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen and Josh McRoberts if they wanted to go after a comparable player in free agency.
One way to avoid that would be to hand Justise Winslow the starting job, or they could be to buy low on a guy like Al Farouq Aminu and hope he turns into the next DeMarre Carroll. Or to just dip into the luxury tax. One thing the Heat can’t do is sign-and-trade Deng, because that would trigger the hard cap–something the Heat cannot go over no matter what, and would all but destroy any cap flexibility this upcoming season.
If either one of these players opts out, the Heat may have to explore these options in more detail after 11:59 p.m. on Monday. If they both opt in, the Heat may be able to add one more player via the mid-level exception, but the Heat’s roster would pretty much be set for next season.
*Both players have to notify the Heat that they will exercise their option to return. If they do nothing, they will become unrestricted free agents.