What is the path for the Heat to solve their cap issues?

[HadAnEffectHere]

In the parenthesis next to each player will be their projected cap hits over the next three years (2024-2025, 2025-2026, 2026-2027) in terms of percentage of the salary cap. PO means player option, FA means they would be a free agent without an extension. The second apron is set at around 134.4% of the salary cap.

Core players:

Jimmy Butler (34.6%, PO/33.8%, FA)
Bam (24.7%, 23.9%, FA)
Jaquez Jr (2.6%, 2.5%, 3.5%)

Other highly paid players

Tyler Herro (20.6%, 20%, 19.3%)
Terry Rozier (17.7%, ~18%, FA)
Duncan Robinson (13.8%, PO/12.8%, FA)

Caleb Martin, Josh Richardson, and Kevin Love are notable free agents for this offseason as well, but shouldn't get a ton of money.

With just the 6 guys listed, the Heat are using up 114% of the salary cap. They would have to fill out basically the rest of their roster with league minimums to stay under the second apron next year but then start running into serious issues afterward. Bam is eligible for a 30% max starting in 2026-2027 and Jimmy Butler will likely get an extension next summer that gives him 35% of the cap in 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, causing Butler+Bam+Herro to make 84.3% of the cap by themselves in 2026-2027.

The Heat are in a semi tough situation for improving or changing their roster as they're been weirdly blase about giving away picks (they've traded away six of their next seven second round picks and owe firsts in 2025 and 2027) so I'm not sure what their plan is if they lose in the first or second round this year.

[jayjaysee]

They really should trade one of Herro/Terry. Not for cap relief necessarily..

But I don’t think they’ll shy away from the tax. And they play in Miami, they’ll sign some of the best bargain vet mins to fill the bench behind their top 8-9

Would think they feel a lot better about paying the tax if you swap Herro+2024 first for a borderline allstar forward.

[JRoy]

They are a top FA destination. Getting talent to sign is not a problem.

Overpaying for DR is.

[theBigLip]

Pistons could use Duncan Robinson. But that trade should have been done before the deadline when we had Bogdonovich, Burks and Morris as possible players to trade. I wouldn’t want to trade any of our core youngsters. If you want real cap relief, we could give you a SRP for him.

[Mike lorenzo]

Rozier+Herro+Jovic for Lavine+Caruso..then send Robinson and 2 FRP protected or 1 unprotected for Kuzma.. Both Kuzma and Lavine at the point they are in their careers and in a place like the Heat with excellent coaches could be seen as stars

Caruso/Lavine/Butler/Kuzma/Adebayo

I don't think they should worry about money if they can present a contender in such a large and attractive market.

[Skybox]

ORL has lots of space to absorb Herro...WCJ and DEN pick and I think MIA is actually a better team and saves money. WCJ is trapped between Paolo & Franz and Rozier does enough to make Herro expendable. Both teams should not be butt hurt to watch their old guys flourish in different environment and role.

[tiderulz]

ORL has lots of space to absorb Herro...WCJ and DEN pick and I think MIA is actually a better team and saves money. WCJ is trapped between Paolo & Franz and Rozier does enough to make Herro expendable. Both teams should not be butt hurt to watch their old guys flourish in different environment and role.

honestly, i would rather take Duncan Robinson right now. Herro cant stay healthy

[ChettheJet]

The simplest serious answer is, they have to be willing to have a losing season or 2 by clearing out some longer contracts to get shorter or expiring and cap room to work with.

Other teams see that by playoff time the Heat are conference contenders every year. Even last year squeaked by the Bulls in the play in and got damn far. If I'm a competing executive I'm in no rush to help them out of the cap hole they're in, doing that doesn't help my situation. Part of that is while Robinson and Herro now Rozier, for example, are contributors in the Heat system and culture so they signed them. If you think that if you trade for them at whatever they make, it's unlikely they lift your team up because flat out, you ain't got the MIA system or culture so you don't want to be that mutt.

[OxAndFox]

The simplest serious answer is, they have to be willing to have a losing season or 2 by clearing out some longer contracts to get shorter or expiring and cap room to work with.

Other teams see that by playoff time the Heat are conference contenders every year. Even last year squeaked by the Bulls in the play in and got damn far. If I'm a competing executive I'm in no rush to help them out of the cap hole they're in, doing that doesn't help my situation. Part of that is while Robinson and Herro now Rozier, for example, are contributors in the Heat system and culture so they signed them. If you think that if you trade for them at whatever they make, it's unlikely they lift your team up because flat out, you ain't got the MIA system or culture so you don't want to be that mutt.

That would mean they should trade Jimmy now. No point in not competing and keeping him until he is 36 and out of contract.
If they can get someone between 24-26 or under for Jimmy I think they can get back pretty quickly with whoever they get, Bam/Herro/Jaquez.
Spitballing something like (obviously additions from each team would be required and some teams might not view themselves as contending with Jimmy for the next 2 years)
Ingram
Giddey/Dort
Bane
Reaves/Rui
Jabari Smith Jr
Kuminga/Podz

[jayjaysee]

If Miami traded Terry, Jimmy and Herro and tanked in 2024, what are the odds that Mitchell signs up to play with Bam/Bailey/JJJ? I’m going like +170-180? And you have whatever assets you got for the trio.:

Miami isn’t trading Jimmy and Jimmy doesn’t want to be trade.. Just random.

[BBallFreak]

Rozier+Herro+Jovic for Lavine+Caruso..then send Robinson and 2 FRP protected or 1 unprotected for Kuzma.. Both Kuzma and Lavine at the point they are in their careers and in a place like the Heat with excellent coaches could be seen as stars

Caruso/Lavine/Butler/Kuzma/Adebayo

I don't think they should worry about money if they can present a contender in such a large and attractive market.

That is simply awful for Miami.

At this point, I'm not trading anything at all for Lavine. He's older, more injury prone, makes a lot more money, and frankly has not looked good, but then to trade Rozier, who we obviously value, and Jovic for Caruso just seems absurd. I won't even address giving up one of the best shooters in the game.

This is just not the direction we're going to go.

[BBallFreak]

ORL has lots of space to absorb Herro...WCJ and DEN pick and I think MIA is actually a better team and saves money. WCJ is trapped between Paolo & Franz and Rozier does enough to make Herro expendable. Both teams should not be butt hurt to watch their old guys flourish in different environment and role.

honestly, i would rather take Duncan Robinson right now. Herro cant stay healthy

I don't think we'd touch that at this point.

[tiderulz]

ORL has lots of space to absorb Herro...WCJ and DEN pick and I think MIA is actually a better team and saves money. WCJ is trapped between Paolo & Franz and Rozier does enough to make Herro expendable. Both teams should not be butt hurt to watch their old guys flourish in different environment and role.

honestly, i would rather take Duncan Robinson right now. Herro cant stay healthy

I don't think we'd touch that at this point.

and you shouldnt. he has quietly changed the narrative of him being overpaid to improving his game

[_GH0ST_]

If Miami traded Terry, Jimmy and Herro and tanked in 2024, what are the odds that Mitchell signs up to play with Bam/Bailey/JJJ? I’m going like +170-180? And you have whatever assets you got for the trio.:

Miami isn’t trading Jimmy and Jimmy doesn’t want to be trade.. Just random.

I've read a few reports that he'll want a supermax or something big like that to re-sign. Same front office let Wade go for the same reason. If the reports is true, it's not impossible for it to happen again.

But the Heat wouldn't trade Jimmy for a bunch of rookies, draft picks or good role players. Should be an All-Star caliber player at a similar age to Bam.

[jayjaysee]

If Miami traded Terry, Jimmy and Herro and tanked in 2024, what are the odds that Mitchell signs up to play with Bam/Bailey/JJJ? I’m going like +170-180? And you have whatever assets you got for the trio.:

Miami isn’t trading Jimmy and Jimmy doesn’t want to be trade.. Just random.

I've read a few reports that he'll want a supermax or something big like that to re-sign. Same front office let Wade go for the same reason. If the reports is true, it's not impossible for it to happen again.

But the Heat wouldn't trade Jimmy for a bunch of rookies, draft picks or good role players. Should be an All-Star caliber player at a similar age to Bam.

Yeah, I think Bam/Butler/JJJ get you close enough to a contender that you have to try and run it duo back next year.

Just feel like they need to make a big trade this summer. That’s not trading Butler, but something.

[HadAnEffectHere]

The Rozier trade feels just pretty odd right now as it really limits their options for making a deal.

They have to do swaps for 2026 and 2028 (and the 2028 swap would have to be a conditional swap...) and bad teams obviously don't love swaps so they may have go to OKC or SAS to get less valuable firsts. Then they could offer a conditional 2029 pick/swap before getting to 2030 and 2031 picks.

Maybe Rozier will be amazing in the postseason or something, but it looks bad right now.

[louc1970]

The simplest serious answer is, they have to be willing to have a losing season or 2 by clearing out some longer contracts to get shorter or expiring and cap room to work with.

Other teams see that by playoff time the Heat are conference contenders every year. Even last year squeaked by the Bulls in the play in and got damn far. If I'm a competing executive I'm in no rush to help them out of the cap hole they're in, doing that doesn't help my situation. Part of that is while Robinson and Herro now Rozier, for example, are contributors in the Heat system and culture so they signed them. If you think that if you trade for them at whatever they make, it's unlikely they lift your team up because flat out, you ain't got the MIA system or culture so you don't want to be that mutt.

That would mean they should trade Jimmy now. No point in not competing and keeping him until he is 36 and out of contract.
If they can get someone between 24-26 or under for Jimmy I think they can get back pretty quickly with whoever they get, Bam/Herro/Jaquez.
Spitballing something like (obviously additions from each team would be required and some teams might not view themselves as contending with Jimmy for the next 2 years)
Ingram
Giddey/Dort
Bane
Reaves/Rui
Jabari Smith Jr
Kuminga/Podz

I agree with the basic idea. If Miami is not going to win this or next, they should look to move Butler, Robinson, and Rozier (all players 30 or older next year).
Retool with likes of Bam, Jaquez, Herro if he can stay healthy. Hero’s problem is Miami has proven they can win in the playoffs without him.

I offer Butler to Houston at the trade for Green, Eason, Landale, Adams and Tate. Miami gets younger and has moveable pieces in any of the 5. Miami sheds its own expiring salaries and replaces them.
Houston brings home Butler to ride Van Fleet and Brooks. And Butler can impart his work mentality to Whitmore and Smith. Not sure if Smith is in Eason’s way or Eason in Smith’s, but 1 should be available.
If picks need to be added, fine.

Re: adjusted by sending Landale/Tate to Bucks, Portia to Heat, Rockets receive filler from Bucks (AJ Green).
Bucks get more depth for Portis.

[BarbaGrizz]

Unpopular opinion but I don´t think Jimmy is worth 1/3 of the cap.

[louc1970]

Unpopular opinion but I don´t think Jimmy is worth 1/3 of the cap.

On the box score you are probably right. But as far as providing hands-on leadership, he us well worth it.
What he led Miami to last year is world’s better than anyone expected.
Put him on an established team with players that accept coaching, and he can be the difference maker.

[NYG]

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