MIAMI — NBA free agency begins Friday at 6 p.m., so what does it mean for the Miami Heat?
There are eight players on Miami's season-ending roster who are poised to become free agents. They are forwards Jamal Cain, Udonis Haslem and Kevin Love, center Orlando Robinson, guards Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, and centers Omer Yurtseven and Cody Zeller.
Haslem is retiring after 20 seasons – all of them with the Heat.
That leaves seven players who will be weighing their options this offseason.
The two most notable Heat free agents who could be poised for big paydays are Strus and Vincent, both of whom were undrafted out of college.
Because of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement that takes effect Saturday, the Heat will have limited options this offseason.
Miami has no cap space, so it's more likely that the team would try to bring back most of the players who led the Heat all the way to the NBA Finals.
Because Strus and Vincent will likely attract interest from other teams in the league, the Heat might have a tough choice to make to try to keep one of them.
But with each possibly earning $10 million or more this coming season from another suitor, it's not likely both will return when the new season begins. Strus and Vincent are currently making about $1.8 million.
Love, who has made the Finals every time he's been in the playoffs, could sign a short-term deal with another team. The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly shown interest in the veteran free agent. There's also a chance he could return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who bought out his contract in February, allowing him to sign with the Heat.
Yurtseven was the Heat's backup center, but Miami will probably look elsewhere after the team declined to extend a qualifying offer to him. The Turkey native's agent told the Miami Herald that he'll find a new team that "values him and helps him reach his potential."
Zeller joined the Heat in February and isn't likely to garner much outside interest. He's got a good chance to return.
The Heat have issued qualifying offers to Cain and Robinson, so there's obvious interest in bringing them back.
