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Miami Heat Roundtable: Is the organization moving in the right direction?

By Allana Tachauer

PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 7: The Miami Heat seen prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns on December 7, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 7: The Miami Heat seen prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns on December 7, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 07: Dion Waiters #11 of the Miami Heat warms up prior ot the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena on November 7, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 07: Dion Waiters #11 of the Miami Heat warms up prior ot the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena on November 7, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Be honest… did the front office get fleeced by Dion Waiters?

Banker: In short terms, yes the Heat got fleeced by Waiters, but I think the conversation with him goes much deeper than that. Waiters has obviously missed the majority of last season and all of this season so far, and is nearly already halfway through his four-year, $52 million contract. However, the Heat agreed to these terms with Waiters knowing that his ankle was an issue and were aware of the possibility of needing surgery. When Waiters is healthy and playing like himself, he brings a mentality to the team that not many players in this league, let alone the team, have. Waiters is the type of player who refuses to lose and truly believes he is the best player on the court, when he is mentally and physically right. The Heat won’t necessarily get what they thought they would get from Waiters, but I still believe he is a valuable asset for this team.

Nurse: Not at all. The front office let feeling “desperation” cloud their judgement. They knew that Waiters was hurt and still paid him. And even if they thought he could heal well without surgery, they still overpaid someone who was only able to play half a season for them; an issue that Riley openly questioned, but still ignored.

Campbell: Yep. I can’t blame Waiters for having surgery. It’s nothing like Chandler “The Finesse King” Parsons, who plays like 10-20 games a season (no lie). I just don’t understand why Waiters isn’t playing yet. What does it say that the Heat were the only team to offer Waiters a multi-year deal? This is what happens when you give “hard workers,” their just due. Yes, it sounds bad, but this team is currently mediocre and showing no signs of improvement.

Rahming: That’s a funny question since the only time I think of fleeced and basketball at the same time is the Boston Celtics trades with both the Brooklyn Nets and Suns. With an average salary of $13 million, there’s no way the Heat got fleeced on this deal. Waiters seemed to be doing perfectly well within the Heat organization, and the team wanted to retool and not tank. They thought the struck gold here, but possibly only struck silver due to injury, even though they knew what they were getting into in terms of his injury history. So far on his new deal, Waiters has only played in 30 of the possible 106 games. The Heat need to decide quickly if they are going to trade him whether he comes back this season or not… Obviously, the value is higher if he’s healthy at the deadline but if he’s not, they should still trade him.

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