Going over the previous NBA Free Agent period, the Miami Heat weren’t exactly that aggressive when it came to hooking up big name players.
One reason is perhaps the Heat may already have the manpower necessary to rebound from a sorry 2014-15 NBA season with most of the focus on the guard position.
After acquiring Goran Dragic from the Phoenix Suns midway last season, the Heat made good to its promise to offer the Slovenian guard a max contract.
And then there was the case of Dwyane Wade who demanded he be paid his due after constantly sacrificing his take-home pay just so that the Heat could form a formidable team.
On cue, this somehow rekindles the things that happened in 2010. Remember at the time that Pat Riley came up with an ingenious move to lure LeBron James out of Cleveland and into Miami. Wade took a pay cut to snag James and Chris Bosh and everyone knows how that turned out.
When James left, Wade felt it was time to get the right pay. Wade eventually settled for a one-year $20 million deal, but it seems that the contract may have more implications headed into the next free agent period.
As perhaps everyone knows by now, the player expected to be very busy next season is current OKC Thunder star forward Kevin Durant.
In August, Durant already said his piece telling everyone not to believe free agency rumors unless they do come from him and two trusted friends – Charlie Bell and Richie Kleiman. Aside from Matty Ice and Matt Tumbleson, these are the only two people that the former MVP says would be reliable when it comes to his career plans.
Before saying those things, Durant was already linked to some teams. One is the Washington Wizards, a place that the All Star forward is pretty much at home with. Durant was born in the district and comes from the Montrose Christian School which could be a sensible destination.
But another team may seriously be making a run at Durant and that is the Miami Heat.
Zach Lowe of Grantland does details this from happening, breaking down the salary reconstruction for next year that includes moving Josh McRoberts and possibly seeing the Heat talk Wade into getting another salary cut.
With Durant likely to be offered $25 million for 2016-17, the Heat would be left with only $20 million (with McRoberts out) to offer between Wade and Hasan Whiteside.
Putting it all in perspective, it remains to be seen if Wade would be fine with a lower salary or probably $20 million again just in case Whiteside is let go.
The strategy seems a bit touché but if there is one person who can pull everything together, that is Pat Riley.