Heat with time on their hands, but also several critical dates ahead to reshape roster
MIAMI — The last time the Miami Heat were done with their season by the first week in May was five years ago, in 2019, the lottery season when Dwyane Wade completed his farewell tour.
Even when the Heat previously went out in the first round with their opening-round sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, that was a season when elimination did not come until May 29, due to the pandemic-delayed schedule.
So as he wrapped up his team’s season last week, Erik Spoelstra spoke of the emptiest of feelings.
“None of us want this to be over at the beginning of May,” the Heat coach said. “We don’t even know what to do right now. You’re talking about, like, ‘All right, you’ve got to make vacation plans, get out of town.’ Like your mind’s not even wrapped around that possibility.”
But even for those eliminated, the NBA never stops, with a calendar stocked with dates of ample impact to the Heat after being swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics.
Such as . . .
May 12-19 — NBA pre-draft camp: The annual combine in Chicago takes on even more significance under the new collective-bargaining agreement, which now mandates at least a certain level of participation from top prospects.
Based on the Heat’s position hard against the salary cap, luxury tax and cap aprons, talent on the preset rookie scales could prove of particular value.
“Now that I have more time, I’m probably dangerous,” Spoelstra quipped of the pre-draft process. “I’ll stay out of the way of our scouting department. They do an exceptional job,”
June 15 (or shortly thereafter) — Internal negotiations: This date is a new twist in the new collective-bargaining agreement. The first day after the conclusion of the NBA Finals – which could be as early as June 15 or as late as June 24 – has now been set as a window for teams to negotiate with their own impending free agents.
For the Heat, this means potentially being able to get a read on what might come next with Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith, among others.
June 26 — First round of the NBA draft: The Heat hold the No. 15 pick.
By rule, because of a traded conditional 2025 first-round pick, the Heat must exercise a first-round selection on this night in Brooklyn, but then would be free to immediately trade the selected player.
June 27 — Second round of the NBA draft: With the NBA for the first time staging the draft over two nights, the Heat hold the No. 43 pick in the second round.
Teams are allowed to both purchase and sell such picks.
June 29 — 5 p.m. NBA deadline for team and player options: This is the deadline for Thomas Bryant, Kevin Love, Josh Richardson and Martin to inform the Heat whether they will pick up the 2024-25 player options on their contracts. Otherwise, they would become free agents, with their salaries coming off the Heat books.
June 30 — NBA free-agency negotiations begin at 6 p.m.: Typically this is when agreements are reached with most free agents.
The Heat lost Max Strus and Gabe Vincent almost immediately after this starting point of last summer’s free agency. This time, it could be when the futures of Martin and Haywood Highsmith are determined.
June 30 — Extension threshold: This is the final day Highsmith can agree to an extension with the Heat if he elects to bypass free agency (with the salary math making it completely unlikely). It also is the first day that Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier, Martin (if opts in) become extension eligible.
July 1 — NBA free-agency signing moratorium begins at 12:01 a.m.: All contracts beyond minimum salaries and rookie-scale deals become frozen, as final tabulations are made on the 2024-25 salary cap and luxury tax.
July 1 — Preset contracts can be signed: Even amid the moratorium, agreements can be reached on minimum-scale contracts, offer sheets can be extended to restricted free agents, third- and four-year rookie-scale options can be exercised, and two-way contracts can be signed and converted.
This will open the window for the Heat to pick up Nikola Jovic’s $4.4 million fourth-year option for 2025-26 and also could open a window into the Heat’s plans moving forward with 2023-24 two-way players Cole Swider, Jamal Cain and Alondes Williams.
July 6 — NBA free-agency signing period begins at noon: This is when previous free-agency agreements can become finalized.
This also is when trade agreements based on the new salary-cap year can be completed, timing that could come into play should the Heat elect for an offseason overhaul.
July 6 — Bam Adebayo becomes extension eligible: Adebayo is eligible to receive a three-year, $165 million extension starting on this date (unless he is named Defensive Player of the Year or makes All-NBA, which would allow for a larger extension).
Such an extension would begin in 2026-27, for a salary that season of $51.2 million.
July 7 — Jimmy Butler becomes extension eligible: This is the first day that Butler can agree to a two-year, $112.9 million extension that would begin in 2025-26, with the extension replacing a player-option year.
Butler, 34, otherwise is due $48.8 million for next season and $52.4 million for his 2025-26 player-option season.
July 12-22 — NBA Summer League in Las Vegas: The Heat also are expected to play in the California Classic summer league ahead of the Las Vegas league of all 30 NBA teams.
Typically, this is when the Heat target prospects for training camp and two-way contracts.
July 15 — Orlando Robinson guarantee deadline: This is when the Heat have to decide whether to guarantee a $2.1 million 2024-25 salary for Robinson or release the backup center into free agency.
Should Love and Bryant return, it is possible, if not likely, the Heat bypass the guarantee. The Heat and Robinson also can agree to extend the deadline for such a decision.
July 27-Aug. 11 — Paris Summer Olympics: Spoelstra will serve as a USA Basketball assistant coach to Steve Kerr, with Adebayo on Team USA and Jovic expected to participate for Serbia.
Aug. 31 — Deadline for NBA waive-and-stretch provision: While this could be a means for the Heat to alleviate some of their luxury-tax concerns, they do not appear to have such a contract that they would willingly unload by this deadline.