The NBA's stretch-and-waive deadline is set for August 29. And according to Miami Heat reporter Barry Jackson, that's one date to keep a close eye on as the team slowly inches closer to the possibility of finalizing this year's roster.
The Heat knows what the free-agent market looks like at the moment, but that's a deadline that could make way for added players to hit the open market. There's no guarantee that any notable ones will, but it will give Miami's front office much more information on how they could finally cement what this first-year roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo could look like.
Interestingly enough, it's unlikely that this deadline would have anything to do with Klay Thompson, whom the Heat appear to be waiting on first, but especially when it comes to the possibility of the team adding another center, this is a date that could push the Heat in one direction or another.
Why August 29 could be a big deadline for the Heat
In the words of Jackson, the Heat could be waiting to see if any other centers hit the market before that August 29 deadline before making a possible decision on an insurance big like Nick Richards (who the team has been somewhat indirectly linked to).
"Miami is seeing what becomes available among centers in the weeks ahead; the waive-and-stretch deadline is Aug. 29."
The Heat has 12 players currently signed to standard contracts. The expectation isthat Miami will keep one of those roster spots open for an in-season buyout candidate. That means, at the very least, the Heat will need to sign two more players before the start of training camp.
Miami continues to hold out hope that one of those spots will eventually be filled by Thompson. But after that, it's hard to predict what else Miami could have up its sleeve.
And honestly, there's no guarantee that Thompson will even be available for the Heat to sign. That means there's a chance that Miami will need to fill two roster spots without any great leads (other than hoping that Thompson becomes available via buyout). That's another reason why August 29, when other unexpected players could hit the open market too, could play a key role in the Heat's path to filling out the rest of their roster.
As things currently stand, it's still difficult to predict how the Heat's front office is going to finalize its roster. There are a few ideal scenarios that they'd like to see play out, but at least for now, they should still be characterized as dream outcomes.
It's also impossible to tell when the Heat will finally make a decision one way or another, but August 29 sure does seem like another date to circle on the calendar.
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