With so many players coming off the books this summer, is anyone guaranteed to return to the Miami Heat next season?
With so much talk about where Hassan Whiteside and Kevin Durant will land this summer, and if either of them will be in a Miami Heat uniform next season, it could be easy to overlook the nine Heat players that are set to become free gents this off-season.
Miami has an opportunity to flip over the roster completely, but with guys like Dwyane Wade, Whiteside and Udonis Haslem among those hitting the market, chances are the Heat will try to bring back much of the old gang.
However, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman only views two players as current locks to return next season.
"I’ve been thinking about which players are the most likely to definitively be in uniform with the Heat next season from the current roster. To me, Dwyane Wade and Josh Richardson are the only locks. While Justise, Goran Dragic, Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts are under guaranteed contract to the Heat for 2016-17, Justise has the value you mentioned as a potential trade sweetener, Goran could be moved (although not likely) to create additional cap space, Bosh remains uncertain because of his health, and McRoberts hardly has cast himself as must-keep. Then there is Tyler Johnson, who could stand as the third-most-likely player to stay, unless an outside team offers a huge free-agency contract, which does not appear likely in light of his shoulder issue. Beyond that, everyone and anyone either does not have fully guaranteed money or is a free agent."
Richardson, a second round pick in last year’s draft, is a tremendous value and is already under contract next season. Miami won’t be moving him. The surprising thing is that Winderman doesn’t view Justise Winslow, the no. 10 pick in last year’s NBA Draft, as a lock to come back.
Why?
Because Pat Riley and the Heat have a history of trading promising young players in order to land All-Star veterans. Riley tacked on Caron Butler as a sweetener when the Heat acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Lakers.
I don’t disagree with Winderman, but I do think the odds of Winslow being traded are extremely slim. For one, there isn’t an All-Star player on the trade market right now and, secondly, Miami’s sights are on Whiteside and Durant. Goran Dragic is also not considered a lock because, as I wrote last week, the Heat could try to move him in order to make room to sign Durant. (He also discounts Bosh due to his medical issues, though he will still more likely than not be on the team’s payroll.)
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With so many balls up in the air, we’ll see who returns to the Heat next season. If I’m picking my locks, I would say Wade, Richardson, Winslow, Tyler Johnson (a restricted free agent who probably isn’t going anywhere), Udonis Haslem (back at the minimum) and Bosh.