As the NBA converged in Las Vegas last week for the G League Winter Showcase, one topic of conversation was the situation involving the Miami Heat and Dion Waiters.
Of course, Waiters has been suspended three different times this season and has yet to suit up for the Heat. His latest suspension, issued on Dec. 12, spanned six games after he posted a photo on Instagram on a boat when he told the team he would be unavailable to play due to an illness.
That suspension followed a 10-game ban in November when Waiters reportedly had a panic attack on the team plane after he ingested THC-infused edibles. Waiters is owed $12.1 million this season and $12.7 million next season.
The Heat have few options to move on from Waiters as Bobby Marks of ESPN reported on Monday that it is likely his career is over, barring an incredibly unlikely turnaround. Marks said the Heat would likely have to include some sort of sweetener in a trade, like a draft pick or young player, to move Waiters but added they will not include Tyler Herro or Kendrick Nunn.
Of course, every contract can be moved in some kind of trade, but the expense required to move Waiters doesn’t appear palatable. Miami is not attaching Kendrick Nunn, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro to incentivize a deal.
Since a trade is all but ruled out, the Heat can either waive Waiters and owe him his remaining salary or they could wait until the summer to come to a resolution.
In any case, the two prized rookies in Herro and Nunn appear to be safe in Miami for the foreseeable future.
[lawrence-related id=8862,8818,8806]