The Miami Heat are in a situation that they have rarely been it over the last few seasons, too much depth. Here’s a way they can become even deeper.
While it is a great problem to have, it is also one that you could never build upon enough. Besides, what coach, team, and fanbase wouldn’t want as many good players on their active roster as possible? Well, the Miami Heat have quite a few this season.
From 1-15, the Miami Heat are as deep this season as they have been in at least the last several seasons. While you know what the veterans will bring, younger and older, what has been the surprise are the contributions from the rookies. While Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn have soaked up all of the accolades thus far and while KZ Okpala still has his luster of possibly being one of the latest stolen draft gems of the Miami Heat, there is another guy who is staking his claim.
Chris Silva out of South Carolina was awarded one of the Miami Heat’s coveted two-way contracts after a lengthy battle between more than a few players throughout training camp. While the deal that went to Daryl Macon can be challenged as far as if he was one of the two that looked most deserving throughout training camp and the preseason, Silva has looked like a front runner throughout the entire process.
While two-way players can play up to 45 days in the big league, not games but days which is important to remember here, that count doesn’t start to accrue until the NBA G-League season starts, which is November 8 for this season. With that date, Silva could realistically be with the big club via his two-way deal until December 23rd of 2019. Should that even be a question though?
In my opinion and after what we have seen very early on in the process, Silva is a guy that should be on the 15-man regular-season roster. In the Miami Heat’s first game on Wednesday night, Silva played only 11 minutes and all in the fourth quarter, but he did so while having a massive impact.
During his short stint of court time, the first-year pro managed to score eight points, grab six boards, and swat away three shots. He did so while going 3-3 from the field and 2-2 from the free-throw line. Even more impressive than his stat line, he seemed to infuse a massive jolt of energy when he entered the game, which some might say helped push the Heat into the massive run that helped them close this game in a victoriously glorious fashion.
This brings us back to that question though, which directly goes, should Chris Silva’s deal be converted into a standard one? The short answer is yes, but here is how it might happen.
Considering the recent exploits of one Dion Waiters, it might be safe to assume that he is on his way out of South Beach. If the Miami Heat could somehow manage to trade him and his $12.1 million salary, attaching a second-round pick if necessary and while only taking back a maximum of $5.537 million or less, they would then have the necessary money to convert Silva’s contract.
While you need an open roster spot to do this, that isn’t a problem for the Miami Heat because even with Macon and Silva, they only have 16 on the roster. Silva would technically be the 15th man, while the minimum salary of $898,310 that it would take would be accounted for in the salary return of a potential Dion deal as described above.
To take it even deeper than that, the Miami Heat could get things accomplished with a slightly different approach as well. Being that two-way players can go a maximum of 45 days, that December 23rd date we discussed, that maximum day allotment would be met the day the Miami Heat play their 35th game of the season, a game against the Utah Jazz.
With only 47 games left in the season at that point, the prorated amount of a rookie free agent minimum salary equates to around $514,885 dollars, even less than the almost $900,000 of a full season’s minimum deal for a first-year guy. Knowing what we know about Pat Riley and his cap savviness, this is almost certainly the way he would play it.
Regardless of how they might go about getting it done, they need to seriously consider doing it. Not only can Silva help this year, but he looks like he could be one of those guys that are helping for years to come, he reeks of the Heat Culture.
With a little bit of UD to his game and his approach, it only seems right. In converting Silva’s contract you would be adding a valuable asset to the bench for depth while also giving him the optimal opportunity to soak up all he can from the real Udonis Haslem while he’s still there.
Get it done Riles! Please?