This is the latest installment of PBT’s series of “What your team should do when the lockout ends.” Up next is the Miami Heat. You can also check out our thoughts on other NBA teams here as we work our way through all 30 squads.
Last season: A complete failure. A total embarrassment. An absolute disgrace.
These are phrases that do not describe the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals, of course. Although for all of the hate directed at LeBron James and his new teammates, you would think that Miami’s first season with its big three of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh was a complete disaster. It wasn’t, especially when measured against the hopes that 28 of the league’s 30 teams had to start the season. But when you throw yourself a parade pep rally essentially for doing nothing more than winning in free agency -- and declare during said rally that your newly assembled club will win “not two, not three, not four, not five ...” but eight or more NBA championships -- well, the backlash is at least somewhat to be expected.
Since we last saw the Heat: Dwyane Wade is hocking a product that is supposed to increase traction on the court. LeBron James has been seen mocking his own hairline and playing in pickup basketball games with other superstars around the country. Chris Bosh is giving acting a shot. And head coach Erik Spoelstra has been hanging in the Phillipines. So in other words, a pretty average summer by NBA standards.
When the lockout ends, the Heat need to: Get some size, get some depth, and get some more consistent outside shooters. The problem is, once the new collective bargaining agreement is in place, they may not be able to do any of those things.
While it’s true that every team will be at the mercy of whatever new system is put into place by the players and owners once a new agreement is reached and the lockout ends, the Heat will be one of the most affected by, to use a term made popular by David Stern recently, its enormous consequences.
The salary cap for the 2010-11 season was in the neighborhood of $58 million. Already for 2011-12, the Heat are on the books for over $65 million. The new system may continue to allow teams to spend past the cap amount and into luxury tax territory, but there have been talks about that luxury tax tripling or even quadrupling in the new agreement to help improve the issue the league has with competitive balance. If that happens, it’s unclear just how much ownership would be willing to pay -- if anything at all -- to improve the team’s talent enough to push it from one of the favorites to win the title, to the favorite to win it. But there may be another way for the Heat to gain talent, and it may come courtesy of the new collective bargaining agreement after all.
One of the rumored aspects of a new CBA is the inclusion of an amnesty clause, whereby teams could rid themselves of their worst contract by waiving the player and having that big number come off the books. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explained, this could be just the loophole the Heat need to sign the talent necessary to reach that championship level. Players would still receive all of the money guaranteed to them by that amnestied contract, so they could sign in Miami to chase a championship with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, and do so at a very minimal cost to the Heat.
All of this is speculative, sure. And really, Miami (like everyone else) will need to wait and see just how much latitude it will have once the new collective bargaining agreement is in place. But for a team that made it to the Finals a season ago, it’s not going to take a lot for them to get back, and it might take only a little but of a push to get the Heat the first of those eight championships that were promised.