The Miami Heat have been linked to some of the bigger names on the trade market, but they’ve also got some important in-house business they need to handle this summer.
Two key contributors from their improbable playoff run, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, are in line to become free agents this offseason. The Heat could try to keep both, but the money would have to be right – and re-upping both might ultimately preclude them from making other necessary moves.
It’s a delicate dance. Both Vincent and Strus are useful players, but the Heat’s playoff run shouldn’t totally overshadow the fact that they underachieved during the regular season. Perhaps not keeping both ultimately is the way to go.
In an exclusive interview on Krantz’s Corner, ESPN NBA Insider and salary cap expert Bobby Marks outlined what the Heat could do.
“I think you split the difference on the two players,” Marks said. “I think Gabe is more of a priority than Max, with Tyler (Herro) coming back and with Kyle (Lowry) on an expiring. I think Gabe is a terrific player, I think it’s just a matter of what the cost is going to be. I think you could see a contract in that $12-13 million range, which would be pretty remarkable. …
“I just look at it where, you’ve got Tyler coming back, I think you can go out and find a shooter maybe in the draft. … You have to prioritize what you want to do. Listen, if Miami wants to go out and throw big money at Max and Gabe, they have all the right to do that. It’s just a matter of what the cost is going to be.
“I think when you do have Tyler about to start that rookie extension, it doesn’t help having another guy on a $12-13 million per year for Max. I think you can go out and find that player in free agency. He’s a good player here, but I do think you probably split the difference on those two players”
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