Miami Heat: 5 key questions to keep an eye on as free agency looms
By Duncan Smith
As free agency looms just a few days away, a number of questions need to be answered by the Miami Heat. We’ll break down the most pressing things to watch for as June 30th draws near.
The Miami Heat are in an unenviable place. Having been the most expensive team to miss the playoffs in NBA history just a couple of months ago, they’ll enter the 2019 offseason a bit more than half a million dollars over the luxury tax with a guaranteed $132.6 million on the books for next season, and about $5.4 million shy of the $138 million luxury tax apron.
They’ll have to pick a direction, whether it be to get cheaper or to get better on the court. If we consider that many of the contracts on this team are expensive, should be considered negative value and difficult to move, cutting costs will be a major challenge in its own right. If they seek to improve competitively, that provides its own problems considering how many bloated contracts are up and down this roster.
As the Heat and team president Pat Riley try to navigate these troubled waters, we’ll break down the five most pressing questions they’ll need to address. We will also discuss how they tie in with the overall plan the Heat are trying to enact this summer as they try to ensure they don’t break their own record as the most expensive team to miss the NBA playoffs in two consecutive seasons.
Without further ado, we’ll take a look at what the Miami Heat need to address in the 2019 offseason.