Interesting Story about the Heat, and Beno Udrih agreeing to a buyout in which he didn't get any money back.
Beno Udrih is in the final year of his contract and out for the season. The only logical (legal) thing for him to do is collect the rest of his guaranteed salary and hope for the best in free agency.
Yet, Udrih forfeited a portion of that money in a buyout — which presumably gets the Heat below the luxury-tax line after signing Joe Johnson.
per Brian Windhorst:
"Several NBA teams are upset by an unusual agreement between the Miami Heat and veteran guard Beno Udrih that will get the team out of paying the luxury tax, sources told ESPN.com."
Other teams ought to be upset.
Miami now figures to avoid paying the tax (though it would’ve been a small amount), receive a portion of tax payments distributed to non-taxpaying teams and escape repeater penalties for the next few years.
And what does Udrih get for that? At face value, nothing except less money.
If you think teams are upset now, just wait until Udrih signs an above-market contract with the Heat this summer.
Although stuff like that is Illegal in the CBA.. Don't doubt that Udrih is under the premise that the Heat will compensate him in return for his act of generosity. And that impacts the already jumbled Heat cap situation.
Looking at how the Heat are structured salary-wise, I don't see any way that Whiteside comes back.
First you have to factor that Chris Bosh's ailment is serious.. I don't think his career is over, BUT it's clear they need another star if Bosh is in the air.. Whiteside isn't the star they have in mind with a closing window. They'd have to shoot bigger.
Currently at 6 players, $50mil...
They likely find a place for Josh McRoberts, which would be 5 players $44.3mil ($45mil in cap space)
Don't think they trade Goran Dragic this year, unless you have somebody in tow, because if you trade him just to have the opportunity at somebody, that could backfire immensely.And doubt they sign Whiteside after signing Wade, then trade Dragic because that $15mil slot isn't bringing in vastly better talent. And by keeping Dragic another year, you can try to move him in 2017, so you get the relief from the $20mil cap is supposed to go up + whatever salary you can dump from Dragic.
Wade has to be signed immediately, his cap hold is $30mil..... With $45mil in cap space, if they wanted to chase Kevin Durant, then he has to take $17mil. But say Wade + KD or a different 30% max (even a 25% max and Wade at $17mil) mean Whiteside is gone, they'd have no money. Doubt KD really considers the Heat due to uncertainty of Bosh, and him going there also means Whiteside leaves.
So, if they wanted to keep Whiteside, Wade can take $22-23mil... But you're running back the same team that doesn't seem to be what they expected.
If they wanted a KD esque star + Wade + Whiteside.... Wade & Whiteside would have to $17mil combined.. And that is not happening.
And even then, it's just as possible that the Heat don't even offer Whiteside a contract at a max level, or even $3-4mil below that
He's the most likely FA to choose LA, all they have to do is make him a good offer.
. Part of it is his own fault because he sucks at setting screens but still. I've only even seen him get 1 lob thrown to him all year. Murray has said they plan to get a ton of shots up over the summer. He's learning how to play the hard way and been pretty effective at it so I only see him getting better moving forward
