The Miami Heat have shopped trades for Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen all offseason and the team will continue to push those deals into camp and this comes as players like Greg Whittington, Corey Hawkins and Keith Benson have signed deals to compete in camp with Tyler Johnson and James Ennis for roster spots.
Miami has been an active team this offseason with trades, as they have been looking to lower their luxury tax bill for this year. The team has already moved Shabazz Napier and Zoran Dragic in deals and the team reportedly is willing to move Chalmers and/or Andersen ahead of the season. According to the Miami Herald, the Heat want to trade Chalmers, but they may wait until training camp or after to do so, as they want to take a "long look" at the other guards on the roster.
Barry Jackson writes that Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson have the chance to step up if Chalmers is traded and Miami may want to see how those players look in camp and perform before pulling the trigger on a deal. Goran Dragic is the starter after signing a near max deal this offseason and Richardson should make the roster after signing as a second round pick. Johnson has a good chance as well, but he will have to earn the spot and it comes after he dealt with a broken jaw in Summer League play this year.
Andersen spoke about the trade rumors in an interview with the Sun-Sentinel and he expressed no ill will towards the team and called the talk just "business." Miami has been looking to make trades with Anderson and Chalmers this summer, but it's looking more likely that the players will end up in camp. The Heat roster moves and decisions they make going forward will be affected by the status of those two players and things could change over the next month or so depending on the trade market.
If Chalmers and Andersen end up staying, the Heat roster is basically set apart from two open spots, as Hassan Whiteside is obviously making the roster. The team has 12 guaranteed contracts and Whiteside right now and that could mean two spots are open for a group of players. According to RealGM, Miami has added undrafted forward Greg Whittington on a deal and he could get the chance to compete for a spot. The report says that Miami is now two players below the max for the camp roster.
Whittington is reportedly on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal along with Keith Benson and Corey Hawkins. The Sun-Sentinel reports that James Ennis is also an option to make the roster, but it's likely that the three non-guaranteed camp players will end up in the D-League if other teams don't pick them up. Miami has solid depth at most positions and what happens with Chalmers and Andersen will dictate who ends up staying on the roster.
Miami has made some solid moves this offseason and they have added depth with Gerald Green and Amar'e Stoudemire as free agents, while Justise Winslow comes in from the draft. Winslow looks like a very solid pick and he should get significant playing time this season.
Check here for more on the Miami Heat roster moves and camp options.