Jordan Mickey is the first on the Miami Heat’s laundry list of removals.
The NBA off-season is well in effect for the Miami Heat. A little more than two weeks have passed since Miami’s first round playoff exit, but the front office has already begun to make moves.
Third-year forward Jordan Mickey was the first severed by team president Pat Riley’s guillotine. Following 23 appearances in Heat red, white and black, Mickey’s team option for the 2018-19 season was declined.
The move foretells a busy off-season and free agency in South Beach. Mickey was set to earn just $1.6 million for the 2019 season – as of now, his absence does little to assuage Miami’s salary cap woes.
Still, Riley’s foresight then is the mastermind behind the move. Mickey’s absence frees a roster spot in Miami’s loaded frontcourt. While he earned a bump in playing time due to injuries to Hassan Whiteside, the collective of a healthy Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo would leave Mickey lowest on the tier list.
Just 25-years-old last season, Mickey was the type of player that fit the Heat’s typical build. Drafted No. 33 in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Mickey trudged through the G-League before getting a partially guaranteed deal in Miami.
Declining Mickey’s option tells another story of Miami’s off-season plan. The Heat have a slew of notables preparing for the free agent market this season. Wayne Ellington, Luke Babbitt, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem are all on the market come July.
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Excluding Wade and Haslem, Miami’s excusal of Mickey could signal a fire sale on all of Miami’s non-championship pieces. Ellington and Babbitt are serviceable through the regular season, but Riley has regularly spoke of his preference to veteran talent to lead his winning squads.
The 2018 free agent class includes behemoths Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Paul George, Chris Paul and DeMarcus Cousins. The Heat’s front office is experienced in rebuilding teams in a hurry, and snagging one of these names could ensure a star for the foreseeable future.
Beyond enticing young pieces like Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, Miami also has the benefit of zero income tax, courtesy of the state government. Heat fans regularly joked that the lack of income tax allowed James to build his empire in 2010, and Miami could be jockeying for a similar move in 2018.
Next: Goran Dragic remains fully committed to the Miami Heat
The Heat have to keep mum on their free agency plans until the July embargo lifts, but the silence is deafening as Miami preps for its next chapter.