NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Trading Away Main Stars With Massive Contracts

Miami Heat is expected to unload some of their current players soon as the team tries again to revamp and enter the 2019-20 NBA season with a new breed. The South Beach squad is expected to go after top free agents but need to unload some expensive players who have not performed up to par.

The future of Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside have been mentioned ever so often, two key players who have not exactly helped the Heat cause. The Miami Herald reported that the two NBA stars are expected to be traded once they opt in for next season, meaning they will be available to teams who may be interested in their services.

Aside from the two, the names of James Johnson and Dion Waiters were also mentioned, hinting that Miami may be entering the 2019-20 NBA season with new faces in the mix.

The key thing behind this reported move is the money involved. The four players have a combined salary of $75 million and the investment has not reaped dividends so far, Heat Nation reported. So the next order of business is which among the NBA teams would be interested in getting any of the players the Heat will be offering for trade?

Any team interested in Whiteside, Dragic, Johnson, and Waiters may only crop up after the 2019 NBA Draft or NBA free agency. Trade could happen by draft night, particularly by teams who would need to fill in key positions that the four names can play. Dragic should get his share of suitors while Whiteside could get a new lease for teams in need of a rim protector and someone who can control the boards.

The names mentioned could be of value on any team only that they do carry hefty salaries. If they opt in, Dragic would be owed $19 million for the coming NBA season while Whiteside will carry a hefty $27 million salary. Johnson has about $30 million left in his contract while Waiters has about $24 million. From the numbers alone, these are pretty hefty amounts - meaning any team trading for them may be hard to find.

If not in the summer, the Heat may have to wait a while if they are bent on releasing the said players via trade. Miami has been linked to several players, one of which may be Kawhi Leonard. This was covered in detail in a previous post. Hoops Habit suggested Mario Hezonja, Frank Kaminsky and Emmanuel Mudiay, players who ironically hold salaries not more than $7 million.