As I've said, people keep acting as if they were a fringe playoff team. They were probably the 5th-6th best team in the league this season, but they are still the best team in the East by a mile. Still the betting favorite to win the title. I am a Spurs fan but I am not holding my breath they will return to the Finals given their age and history of susceptibility to injury.

 

We all know Wade is in his early 30s but playing like he is in his mid-50s. You know what you are getting with him. The Heat are in need of a philosophical change, a lot of which centers around Bosh, IMO. He is the guy not capitalizing on his potential. People expecting some kind of major roster overhaul with three high paid players were getting too caught up with the pay for less line of thinking. It is crazy to think they would or should accept a significant decrease in pay from what they are entitled, especially considering they've won a couple of titles. The same burn is not going to be there.

 

Whose to say it has to be the Spurs to beat the Heat and the Pacers could make the leap next season.

 

I think this Heat team is too old and not talented enough to defeat 2-4 teams from the West. I don't understand why Lebron would come back to that team if Wade and Bosh get the money they want. Wade isn't worth 2.5 million.

Whose to say it has to be the Spurs to beat the Heat and the Pacers could make the leap next season.

 

I think this Heat team is too old and not talented enough to defeat 2-4 teams from the West. I don't understand why Lebron would come back to that team if Wade and Bosh get the money they want. Wade isn't worth 2.5 million.

 

Agree 100%. You have to think Wade will at best be what he was this season. To me, they won't be any better than this year, most likely take a small step back. If Melo or Love end up in Chicago, or the Pacers figure out their internal issues, they could easily pass the Heat as dominate team in the East.

 

I heard LeBron wants a deal that allows him to opt out after one season if he wishes to. Anyone else read that?

They go over the salary cap each year, is there a limit on how much they can go over it? If the Heat are willing to pay the TAX can't they pay just about anything?

 

Not sure how it works but the Heat Spent $84 million last year which was way over the cap and luxury limit. Nets actually spent over $100M and Knicks over $89M...so the cap isn't a Hard Cap it would seem.

 

There are rules that allow you to go over the cap to field a team of 12 players. So, taking the Heat as an example, if they pay Lebron the max (call that $22 mil) and spend another $33 mil. for Wade, Bosh and Haslem, they can sign those guys. Norris Cole and Justin Hamilton are on the books for around $3 mil, plus add Shabazz for another $2 mil. We are at $60 mil. The mid level exemption would now be an option for the Heat, so they can go over the projected $63 mil cap to use this (it is around $5 mil). The Heat are also eligible for a $2 mil biannual exemption and a $2.2 mil trade exemption. I just gave you salary for 10 roster spots. They can use league minimum salaries for the other spots. The projected luxury tax threshold is $77 mil. With the number of exemptions, it is likely they won't go over that number this season. If they sign Lebron, Wade and Bosh to long term deals, they won't be able to avoid it in the coming years, as they will not get the number of exemptions that they are eligible for this year.

Agree 100%. You have to think Wade will at best be what he was this season. To me, they won't be any better than this year, most likely take a small step back. If Melo or Love end up in Chicago, or the Pacers figure out their internal issues, they could easily pass the Heat as dominate team in the East.

 

I heard LeBron wants a deal that allows him to opt out after one season if he wishes to. Anyone else read that?

 

I heard two years, but that makes a lot of sense.

Whose to say it has to be the Spurs to beat the Heat and the Pacers could make the leap next season.

 

I think this Heat team is too old and not talented enough to defeat 2-4 teams from the West. I don't understand why Lebron would come back to that team if Wade and Bosh get the money they want. Wade isn't worth 2.5 million.

I am just not buying anything else the East has shown me. It's a cakewalk to the Finals until someone remotely shows me otherwise. Hibbert, Paul George, and Stephenson just don't scare me. I guess Melo could be a game changer in Chicago, but his team's have advanced out of the first round twice in his career. I theory half of the battle should be getting to the Finals, and until I see differently it is not a battle for the Heat.

 

I heard LeBron wants a deal that allows him to opt out after one season if he wishes to. Anyone else read that?

That's what I've understood he will do from the onset.

I am just not buying anything else the East has shown me. It's a cakewalk to the Finals until someone remotely shows me otherwise. Hibbert, Paul George, and Stephenson just don't scare me. I guess Melo could be a game changer in Chicago, but his team's have advanced out of the first round twice in his career. I theory half of the battle should be getting to the Finals, and until I see differently it is not a battle for the Heat.

 

They are definitely the favorites. My beef is that they could improve the team tremendously if they would pay Wade what he is worth.

That's what I've understood he will do from the onset.

 

Flexibility is as important to him as the maximum amount of money.

 

 

Still amazaed he has never been the highest paid player on any team he has played on. That's crazy. I'd want the max contract also.

@HPbasketball: I'm *pretty* sure things will work out for the Heat... but the way this thing is working out is... uh... weird.

There are rules that allow you to go over the cap to field a team of 12 players. So, taking the Heat as an example, if they pay Lebron the max (call that $22 mil) and spend another $33 mil. for Wade, Bosh and Haslem, they can sign those guys. Norris Cole and Justin Hamilton are on the books for around $3 mil, plus add Shabazz for another $2 mil. We are at $60 mil. The mid level exemption would now be an option for the Heat, so they can go over the projected $63 mil cap to use this (it is around $5 mil). The Heat are also eligible for a $2 mil biannual exemption and a $2.2 mil trade exemption. I just gave you salary for 10 roster spots. They can use league minimum salaries for the other spots. The projected luxury tax threshold is $77 mil. With the number of exemptions, it is likely they won't go over that number this season. If they sign Lebron, Wade and Bosh to long term deals, they won't be able to avoid it in the coming years, as they will not get the number of exemptions that they are eligible for this year.

 

Thanks, then how did 4 teams go over last year and one go over the Luxury amount by close to $25 Million.

They are definitely the favorites. My beef is that they could improve the team tremendously if they would pay Wade what he is worth.

 

Can't do that, the Veteran Minimum for him is $1.4Million next year, they have to at least pay him that much :lol2:

Thanks, then how did 4 teams go over last year and one go over the Luxury amount by close to $25 Million.

 

There were seven teams over the luxury tax threshold- the Brooklyn Nets were over by $30 mil, but the next team in amount was the Knicks at around $14 mil. There were two major reasons teams were over the limit: 1. resigning multiple players or signing multiple free agents to big, long term contracts (Clippers, Lakers, Bulls, Heat and Knicks all fall into this category- as well as Brooklyn, partially) or 2. acquiring big long term contracts via trade (the Celtics and Brooklyn, again, fall into this category).

 

If you sign players and they are under the cap initially, you can make those deals. The issue comes when the salary cap does not increase seasonally as readily as those contracts do. This is why, in my example, I said the Heat won't, likely, touch the Luxury Tax this year, but won't be able to avoid it in the future.

 

A team may acquire up to 125% of the salaries they trade away- this is why the Celtics took back so much money in their deal with the Nets; they had to for the Nets to take the players they did. The Nets were already over the Luxury Tax with signings of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace. They took back more salary with getting Pierce, Garnett and Jet.

 

I hope this helps.

Thanks

@HPbasketball: I'm *pretty* sure things will work out for the Heat... but the way this thing is working out is... uh... weird.

 

Interesting.

Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh unsure of LeBron James plan - ESPN

 

When the Miami Heat's "Big 3" went their separate ways after a lunch meeting last Wednesday, they went not knowing whether they had played their last game together, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

 

While Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were committed to returning to the Heat, LeBron James was unsure of what he would do, the sources said.

 

The only certainty coming out of the meeting concerning James was that he wanted a maximum-level salary.

 

James did not ask or suggest that Wade and Bosh opt out of their deals or take lesser salaries to allow the Heat to add other top players, according to the sources.

 

When Bosh and Wade opted out of their contracts a few days later -- joining James who had done so before their lunch meeting -- it was widely assumed the three were working together and would all return to the Heat.

 

But sources who have spoken with two of the Big 3 said that was not the case. Bosh and Wade are intent on returning to Miami, but neither of them knows what James will do.

 

"It's not a done deal," said one source, when asked about James' return to Miami. "That's for sure."