The Miami Heat have been looking to trade Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen this offseason and the team also could consider a deal with Josh McRoberts, as Miami is looking to lower their tax for this season and Jamal Crawford has continued to come up as a potential trade option with the Clippers.
The Heat are looking to get their tax bill down for this season and Chalmers and Andersen have been mentioned the most as options to get moved. The team already traded Zoran Dragic and Shabazz Napier and now another deal could be on the horizon. According to the Miami Herald, the Heat have continued to look at potential deals for both players, but the team has not found any legitimate takers yet. Barry Jackson reports that Chalmers likely will be in training camp with the team.
Chalmers has a better chance to stick around than Andersen, according to Jackson, but the team wants to trade both players. Andersen and Chalmers are coming into the final years of their contracts and that could make them attractive down the line if deals don't happen this summer. Andersen is owed $5 million this season and the team currently has a tax bill over $20 million and it could be drastically cut if both players are traded.
The Crawford talk has continued to come up and there were reports early in the offseason that Miami could be interested. The money part of it could be an issue since Crawford has about the same salary, but the team could look at adding him to move Andersen or Chalmers. The Clippers and Knicks reportedly could be linking up for a deal with Crawford and Jose Calderon and with that in mind, Chalmers could also be a fit for the Clippers.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Clippers are a "little thin" at point guard, as they only have Pablo Prigioni and Austin Rivers as backups for Chris Paul. The team may want to upgrade that a little bit and while Chalmers is not an All-Star player, he has championship experience and has played for winning teams in Miami. Jackson writes that with most rosters set already, Chalmers could come into camp with Miami and still get traded. Even if the Heat bring Chalmers into camp, expect them to continue looking for a deal.
Miami is facing the "repeater tax" this year, according to PBT and that is why they want to cut payroll so they can get under the tax line if they can. Andersen is the most likely option and he said in an interview with the Sun-Sentinel that he is not bothered by the trade talk. Josh McRoberts could come up as a potential trade target, but right now it looks like Chalmers and/or Andersen are the players Miami is pushing to move. McRoberts is making $5,543,725 this season and that is comparable to Andersen, but he may be harder to move since he is signed for more years.
Check here for more on the Miami Heat and potential trades with Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen or Josh McRoberts. Check here for more on the trade interest in Jamal Crawford.
