Heat exploring these scenarios as it tries to move on from Dion Waiters
The Heat is actively exploring avenues to extricate itself of guard Dion Waiters, but Waiters - at this point - opposes giving up any of the money he’s owed to achieve that, according to a source briefed on the situation.
Before Waiters’ third suspension that began last week, the Heat hadn’t ruled out playing Waiters if the team had a flurry of injuries or if he comported himself impeccably over several weeks.
But his latest violation of team rules - resulting in his third suspension - has left Miami determined to move on, according to two sources.
One source said every option is “on the table” in trying to achieve that, noting the preference is to keep him away so that he doesn’t hurt team chemistry.
The Heat is open to a buyout of the final year-and-a-half of his contract, but Waiters at this point has been disinclined to accept anything less than $12.1 million he’s owed this year and the $12.7 million he’s due to make next season.
That $12.1 million salary for this season has been reduced by $1.4 million because of the three suspensions, which cover 17 games.
It’s possible Waiters could eventually accept a giving up a bit of the money he’s owed if he grows determined to play this season. One source said he wants to play, but - at this point - not if it means giving up millions of dollars in salary.
But Waiters could change his mind if he has reason to believe that another team would sign him, thus offsetting money he would be relinquishing in a Heat buyout.
The Heat also has considered exploring ways to void his contract, according to a team source, but that is viewed as unlikely because it assuredly would trigger a legal battle with the players union, which wouldn’t want to establish a precedent for contracts being voided.
Unless Waiters is willing to consider sacrificing some salary in a buyout - and he eventually might - the most realistic resolution in the interim could involve Waiters and the team agreeing for him to continue to be paid while staying away from the team.
Waiters would need to agree to that, and the upshot for him would be that he wouldn’t necessarily need to worry about maintaining a team-required weight or further risk a suspension that would cost him additional salary.
The only benefit to the Heat in that scenario would be the ability to use his salary as filler in a trade, if needed, at any point between now and before the February 2021.
As The Herald has reported, no team has shown interest in trading for Waiters, and Miami is disinclined to attach an asset - or do anything to affect 2021 cap space - for the purpose of purging Waiters.
The ongoing six-game suspension, which runs through Dec. 23, was - as fivereasonssports first reported - partly the byproduct of Waiters posting Instagram pictures of himself on a boat during a period last week when he told the team he was unable to practice or play because of an illness.
A source on Sunday confirmed to The Miami Herald that the boat incident was a factor in this latest suspension but not the only one.
There have been more than a half dozen team violations by Waiters this season, including complaining on the bench during the preseason finale, refusing to do a required weigh-in and several inappropriate posts on social media.
The Heat has declined to comment on the current suspension beyond saying it resulted from “his failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination.”
Waiters’ agent, Rich Paul, has declined to comment on the situation.
The first game after Waiters’ suspension is Dec. 27 at home against Indiana, but the preference inside the Heat would be to resolve the situation before that.
JJ UPDATE
There is nothing nefarious with James Johnson’s absence from the team, which the Heat has called “personal reasons.” He has comported himself well since returning to the team from a preseason absence due to conditioning issues, and the expectation is he will return to the Heat after the ongoing road trip, barring something unforeseen.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 11:08 AM.
