Will Miami end up with half of Banana Boat Crew? Some say Heat is interested in Carmelo
Maybe the Miami Heat can still end up with half of the Banana Boat Crew.
According to ESPN, the Heat is one of three teams expected to show interest in Carmelo Anthony when the 10-time All-Star and three-time Olympic Gold medalist finally parts ways with the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer.
Anthony, who turned 34 last month, is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-low 16.2 points and shot a career-worst 40.4 percent from the field. He has had a longstanding friendship with Heat guard Dwyane Wade, four-time MVP LeBron James and nine-time All-Star Chris Paul.
James' L.A. Lakers and Paul's Houston Rockets were mentioned as the other teams expected show interest in Anthony.
Oklahoma City, which currently has a payroll of more than $310 million when you include the luxury tax bill, is working through scenarios to eliminate Anthony's $27.9 million contract and a staggering $107 tax bill.
The Thunder is first expected to pursue trade possibilities with teams looking to acquire a massive expiring deal to free up salary-cap space for next summer's free agent frenzy. But in the event that doesn't happen the Thunder appears prepared to use the NBA’s stretch provision to slash $90 million tax and spreading Anthony's salary for $9.3 million over the next three seasons.
The Heat, which has 11 players under contract for $120 million (just below the $123 million tax bill), doesn't have the cap space to take Anthony back in a trade without giving players back in the trade, which would be pointless in OKC's case. So the only realistic way Anthony ends up in a Heat uniform is if he's bought out or stretched.
The Heat, which is still negotiating with three-point specialist Wayne Ellington and looking for ways to accommodate his salary under the luxury tax, likely would not only offer Anthony more than the veteran's minimum ($2.4 million) to add him to the roster.
Anthony expressed to the Thunder at the end of the team's playoff run he would not accept a bench role. The Heat has a budding young standout in Josh Richardson who starts at small forward and signed James Johnson last summer to a four-year, $60 million deal to play the majority of minutes at power forward.
Wade, who has yet to decide if he's coming back for a 16th NBA season and would likely take no less than the Heat’s $5.3 million tax exception, willingly accepted a bench role with the Heat when he was acquired at the NBA trade deadline in February.
The Lakers and Rockets, though, are in similar financial situations as the Heat with not a lot to offer in terms of money. The Rockets, though, lost forward Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns in free agency and might be better suited to offer Anthony the kind of role he seeks.
This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 2:46 PM.