The Miami Heat may look at a trade with Mario Chalmers, Shabazz Napier or Josh McRoberts this year after signing back Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic and bringing in Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green, as the team may need to cut salary and make roster space and this comes as Justise Winslow has impressed in the Summer League and he could be the main backup for Chris Bosh this season.
Miami has been shopping Chalmers this offseason along with Chris Andersen, Napier and McRoberts, as the team has a crowded roster and needs to make some moves. According to the Miami Herald, the team has "been aggressive" in trying to trade Chalmers and Napier, as the team wants some cap relief and would be willing to take a late draft pick to do it. The Herald reports that Chalmers said he "prefers" to stay in Miami, but the team clearly is looking to trade him after multiple reports came up this offseason.
Miami has Goran Dragic back on a near max contract and he is the starter, while players like Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson could be backups if Chalmers and/or Napier are moved. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the Heat pushed a deal for Andersen and Chalmers earlier in the offseason when they signed back Dwyane Wade, but so far the team has not been able to find a deal. Chalmers is making $4.3 million this season and he is in the final year of his contract, while Andersen is making $5 million and also will be a free agent next summer.
Chalmers comes in after averaging 10 points last season with four assists per game and if he stays, he likely will be the main backup for Dragic. The Heat like Johnson and Richardson and that means either Chalmers or Napier likely will be moved at some point. The Herald reports that the team is pushing to trade Napier along with Chalmers and it comes after Napier looked solid in the summer league this year. Last season Napier averaged 5.1 points and 2.5 assists in 51 games for Miami.
Miami has added Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green in free agency this offseason and that adds some depth at multiple positions. The team could afford to move McRoberts or Andersen with Stoudemire coming in, as the team expects him to be a top bench option this year. The addition of Green should help the team keep Dwyane Wade fresh after he dealt with knee issues last season and McRoberts also could be in the mix to move with Stoudemire signing.
Justise Winslow was added in the NBA draft in the first round and he has been impressive in the Summer League and now he adds some more depth for the team at forward. Winslow likely will play a bunch of small forward for the team and he also can help Chris Bosh, who is coming back from dealing with blood clots last year. Winslow looked strong in the summer league and while that is not always the best judgment of how a player will be in the NBA, the Heat feel that Winslow can contribute this season after playing at Duke and winning a title.
Check here for more on the trade options with Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier, the play of Justise Winslow and the roster for the Miami Heat and more on the Heat offseason moves.
