The Miami Heat finalized a three-team trade Tuesday with the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets that sent veteran center Chris “Birdman” Andersen to Memphis, netted Miami a backup point guard and helped reduce the team’s luxury tax.
As first published by Yahoo! Sports, Miami also sent two second-round picks to Memphis in the trade and acquired 30-year-old backup point guard Brian Roberts from Charlotte.
Andersen, 37, played a vital part off the bench in the Heat’s 2013-14 NBA championship run but had played a total of 36 minutes this season spread over seven games before hurting his left foot in a loss at the Clippers on Jan. 13. He hasn’t played for the Heat since.
Miami had been looking to move Andersen’s $5 million salary for a while to help save money on the luxury tax. The Heat began the season with the fifth-highest payroll in the league at $91.2 million, roughly $5.6 million over the luxury tax threshold.
Roberts, who has averaged 4.8 points, 1.3 assists and 11.1 minutes per game for the Hornets in 30 games this season, is making $2.85 million this and becomes a free agent after the season.
The trades saves the Heat nearly $6 million in salary and luxury tax this season.
The NBA trade deadline is 3 p.m. Thursday.
With Chris Bosh’s return this season questionable as he deals with a blood clot in his calf, the Heat could be looking to unload more salaries in the coming days.
THANK YOU, BIRDMAN! #ZILLA pic.twitter.com/ZVSwAAB9Ab
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 17, 2016
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