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Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Miami Heat badly need to add more depth to their roster. But could they add both Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan in the next couple of weeks? A team insider claims it is possible.
One of the biggest stories of the offseason was the Heat winning the long-rumored chase for Milwaukee Bucks legend Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the deal, Miami took back the future Hall of Famer and the $120 million he is owed the next couple of seasons, and sent out Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, the 13th pick in June’s NBA Draft, and several more unprotected first-round picks and swaps.
Miami Heat still have a variety of options to sign impact veterans
The deal got them a top-three player but also added a lot to their payroll while taking a huge chunk out of their roster depth. That is why they have been looking to add impact players at affordable rates over the last month. But can they really do that if they are so close to the first tax apron? According to Heat insider Ira Winderman, they have a lot of options available, including a trade exception set to expire soon.
The Heat hold a $5.6 million trade exception from last summer’s salary dump of Haywood Highsmith to the Nets, an exception that expires on Aug. 17. The reality is that because the Heat are hard-capped by virtue of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, they have more exception money at the moment than they can use, now just about $10 million below that hard cap. In addition to the Highsmith trade exception, the Heat have almost $9 million remaining from their mid-level exception and the $5.5 million bi-annual exception.”
The Heat have been linked to signing DeRozan in free agency. Based on what Winderman claims, they can still sign him to a deal that isn’t a veteran’s minimum if he is willing to take something in the $10 million or below price range for a season. But can they sign the five-time All-Star, and also add fellow five-time All-Star Thompson? Another player linked to Miami in recent days?
Miami Heat could add DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson in the next few weeks
If the Dallas Mavericks chose to buy out Thompson’s deal, they still have the funds to sign him as a free agent if he is willing to take a very team-friendly contract. However, Winderman claims that even if a rumored trade that sent Nikola Jovic to Dallas happened, the Heat have more than enough roster spots to add the Golden State Warriors great and DeRozan this summer.
“In fact, currently at 12 players under standard contract, the Heat, by NBA rule, have to add at least two more players under standard contract (they can, in fact, add three, with the regular-season roster limit of 15 players under standard deals).”
– Ira Winderman