The Miami Heat have been trying to trade Chris Andersen and Mario Chalmers this offseason and while Jamal Crawford could be a trade target, no deal with the Clippers is close to happening and this comes as the team has added Corey Hawkins and Keith Benson on contracts for camp, while James Ennis will compete for a roster spot behind Justise Winslow.
The main goal for Miami regarding trades this summer has been to lower the luxury tax number and the team has been shopping Chalmers and Andersen for a while. According to Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald, the team is continuing to shop both players, but since they have yet to find suitable deals, both players are likely going to be with the team in training camp. Camp deals can happen as injuries and other issues arise and Miami will continue pushing for trades.
The team has depth up front with Amar'e Stoudemire coming in and Hassan Whiteside starting and that is one reason why the team has been interested in trading Andersen. The team also would like to move his $5 million salary, as they would help get their tax bill down since they will have to pay as a repeater from last season. Andersen said in an interview with the Sun-Sentinel that he understands the trade talk and called it "just business" in the NBA. Chalmers also could get moved and that would leave Tyler Johnson as the main backup for Goran Dragic.
Miami has a tax bill of $23 million with the way things stand, according to Jackson at the Herald. That is what they would pay in tax if the team doesn't make any trades and Jackson also reports that while Crawford is a trade target out there, there "has been no evidence/confirmation" that the Clippers are trying to trade Crawford for Andersen at this point. The report also says that Miami "expects" to bring Chalmers into training camp and that they will continue shopping the point guard for deals.
Crawford reportedly is available for a trade and it comes as the Clippers have made a number of significant moves on the roster. The team added Lance Stephenson and also signed Josh Smith, Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson and Pablo Prigioni, which could leave Crawford without much of a role. Crawford is in the final year of his deal and the money with Andersen would match up for a deal. The Heat would love to move Andersen, as they are right around $5 million above where they want to be.
Miami is not currently pushing for a deal with Crawford, but he was mentioned earlier in the offseason as a potential target. The team signed Gerald Green and the roster also has Josh Richardson, Dwyane Wade and Johnson at guard behind Dragic. Crawford reportedly is also a target for the NY Knicks. The Heat have also added some camp options to the roster, signing Corey Hawkins and Keith Benson to deals. Justise Winslow is a rookie and could push to start if he plays well enough, while Hawkins, Benson and James Ennis are competing for roster spots.
Check here for more on the Miami Heat trying to trade Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen and for more on interest in Jamal Crawford.
