Heat Rumors: Luxury tax, Dru Smith, Terry Rozier, roster considerations

The Miami Heat have 14 players on standard contracts following the trade of Haywood Highsmith to Brooklyn and the signing of Dru Smith over the weekend.

That leaves them one short of the maximum, but they cannot add a 15th without crossing the luxury tax line, as relayed by Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Miami is currently about $1.7 million under the tax threshold and $7.2 million below the first apron. To remain under, the Heat would need to wait until December to sign a 15th player to a prorated minimum deal.

The other option would be to free up room earlier through a trade or by using the waive-and-stretch provision, with Terry Rozier’s contract the most likely candidate if the team pursued that path.

The Heat also have an open two-way slot.

As Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel pointed out, the roster makeup remains unbalanced. Miami is loaded with wings but lacks depth at center, power forward and point guard.

Rookie Kel’el Ware is the team’s lone true center, while Tyler Herro is projected to handle point guard duties despite spending much of his career at shooting guard.

Financially, swapping Highsmith for Smith helped ease the cap burden. Smith’s deal counts for less than half of Highsmith’s against the cap and tax this season, giving the Heat more flexibility to potentially add a big man later.

Smith, who tore his Achilles in December, is expected to be ready early in the season.