The Miami Herald’s Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions. If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via X (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them to achiang@miamiherald.com
.Alex B.: Just curious if the Heat can do anything (waive or buyout) with Keshad Johnson’s contract that would allow them to pursue a third big man while staying under the tax?
Anthony Chiang: Not really. Keshad Johnson’s contract with the Heat is fully guaranteed for $2 million this season. So waiving Johnson in the middle of the season would not create any additional space under the luxury tax threshold. As far as a buyout, you rarely see a player on a minimum contract like Johnson agree to a buyout with their team.
As of now, the Heat will have to wait until mid-December to use its 15th and final roster spot to sign a player for the rest of the season while still staying out of the luxury tax. The Heat is currently operating just $1.6 million below the NBA’s punitive luxury tax line.
But Terry Rozier is one player on the Heat’s roster whose full salary for this season is not guaranteed, with $24.9 million of his $26.6 million salary currently guaranteed. His full $26.6 million salary doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10. One way the Heat could create more room under the luxury tax line is by waiving Rozier to create an additional $1.7 million of room below the luxury tax threshold before his full $26.6 million salary for this season becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10.
This would create a second open spot on Miami’s standard 15-man roster and would allow the Heat to immediately sign a player to fill one of those spots without entering luxury tax territory.
With Rozier away from the Heat following his arrest last month as part of a federal gambling investigation, it’s unclear how that would impact the team’s ability to cut him for some salary-cap relief. But if the Heat can part ways with Rozier to create more room under the luxury tax line, it’s the easiest path for Miami to add to its standard roster right now without crossing the luxury tax threshold.
After finishing as a luxury tax team in each of the past two seasons, the Heat does not intend to be a luxury tax team this season in order to avoid the onerous repeater tax that’s triggered when a team crosses the luxury-tax threshold in four straight seasons or four times during a five-season period.
@CaetanoBettenc1: Who is losing minutes when Tyler Herro gets back?
Anthony: This is a tough call because every player in the Heat’s current rotation has a strong argument to keep their spot in the rotation. The first player who comes to mind is guard Dru Smith, with either guard Davion Mitchell or Pelle Larsson expected to move to a bench role when Herro returns to the starting lineup. But Smith has produced positive minutes as a reserve this season, with the Heat outscoring opponents by an impressive 8.1 points per 100 possessions with Smith on the court. The only Heat players who have a better individual net rating than Smith so far this season are Bam Adebayo and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
However, with Heat rotation players Nikola Jovic and Andrew Wiggins recently sidelined by hip injuries, Herro could just slide into one of those voids in the rotation if they’re still out.
@Brendan_Tobin: Best Spo on court gesture? Travel, timeout or challenge?
Anthony: Definitely the challenge. No coach is more upset to have to challenge a call than Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.