Mailbag: A look at one of biggest challenges facing Heat in offseason. And a Fizdale reunion?
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Charles, Miami: What’s the biggest challenge facing the Heat in trying to keep last season’s roster together?
Anthony Chiang: The Heat’s desire to preserve max-level salary-cap space for what could be a loaded 2021 free-agent class headlined by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Miami’s six impending free agents are Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, Udonis Haslem, Solomon Hill, Derrick Jones Jr. and Meyers Leonard. The Heat owns Bird rights with all six players, which allows NBA teams to exceed the salary cap in order to re-sign their own free agents.
With the help of Bird rights, Miami should have enough room under the luxury tax line to keep this past season’s roster intact. So, that’s not the issue.
The challenge in negotiations with those players will come when discussing the length of contract offers. The Heat is not in position to offer more than a one-year deal as it looks to protect 2021 cap space.
That doesn’t mean Miami won’t give in. It’s possible the Heat could commit to a second year in a contract offer to avoid losing one of its free agents.
While a multi-year contract would eat into future cap space, the Heat could bank on trading away salary to open up the necessary space to add a max player in the 2021 offseason if needed. But that’s obviously a risk because Miami’s 2021 plan would be contingent on getting that trade done.
To avoid that scenario, the Heat could offer its free agents more money than what they would get on the open market to make up for offering just a one-year deal.
Re-signing Crowder and Dragic are expected to be top priorities for the Heat this offseason since both started and played well during this postseason. It could come down to whether Crowder and/or Dragic choose to stay with the Heat on a one-year balloon payment contract over long-term security elsewhere.
If Haslem decides to return for an 18th NBA season, he’ll likely come back on a minimum contract again. Hill, Leonard and Jones are each in different situations, but long-term security will likely be appealing to them this offseason since they are still in their 20s.
Of course, a trade for a disgruntled superstar in the next few weeks would completely change the Heat’s situation this offseason.
Heat president Pat Riley said Friday: “We’re going to remain fluid. And whatever presents itself to us, we’ll look at it.” That’s the right approach.
@Dont_Panek: Think David Fizdale may come back?
Anthony: With Heat assistant coach Dan Craig moving on to take a similar job with the Los Angeles Clippers, there’s an opening on Erik Spoelstra’s staff.
Fizdale seems like a natural fit, considering he spent eight seasons (2008-16) as a Heat assistant and the final two years of his Miami tenure as the assistant head coach to Spoelstra. Fizdale and Spoelstra, who are close friends, also worked together in the Heat’s video room.
But there are coaches already on Spoelstra’s staff who also make sense to fill Craig’s spot, and Fizdale may not want to get in the way of natural career progression to return to his old job. Eric Glass and Anthony Carter are two current Heat coaches who could emerge as top options to replace Craig as one of Spoelstra’s assistant coaches.
Glass spent this past season as the head coach of the Heat’s G League affiliate (the Sioux Falls Skyforce) after spending the previous two seasons as video coordinator/player development coach for the Heat. Carter just finished his second season as a Heat player development coach.
