NBA Rumors: Miami Moving Forward Sans Expensive Underachieving Duo, Find Out Why

The Miami Heat are off to a good start with a 2-1 win-loss record in the 2019-20 NBA season. This is even though two of their high-priced stars have not yet taken the court. This is concerning James Johnson and Dion Waiters, two of four players Miami is reportedly keen on trading.

With the success they have been getting, it appears the Heat may possibly move forward with these two players not in the lineup. If that should be the case, it is a ploy that team president Pat Riley has done in the past.

Two former Heat stars, Alonzo Mourning and Chris Bosh, went this route during their respective times, the Sun-Sentinel reported. During the 2000-01 season, Mourning missed most of the season due to a kidney ailment. Regardless, the Heat went on to finish with a 52-30 record.

As for Bosh, he was taken out of the lineup when he was diagnosed with a blood clot. It was more of an effort to preserve him during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 NBA seasons. But even with the All-Star big man out, Miami found a way to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. In short, Riley is no stranger to dealing with players with issues.

However, it would be best to point out that the cases of Bosh and Mourning are far different from those of Johnson and Waiters. Both were in good standing with Riley and their case was tied up more to their incapacity to play due to illness.

As mentioned in a previous post, the easy way to resolve this is to trade both players. It is no secret that the two are on the block. However, their expensive pacts are making it hard for the Heat to find a suitable trade partner.

So until that time comes, the likely scenario is that the two would be left off the roster. It is a trend that has been happening since last season. Among the ones who went that route include Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

However, Johnson and Waiters can still break into the lineup if things simmer down. But getting the chance to play this season will depend largely on their attitude and how well they blend in with the new-face Heat. Miami hosts the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 29 starting at 7:30 p.m. EDT at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.