Free agents: Salary cap hurts Heat's appeal

It remains to be seen just how much of a pay cut a top free agent would take to join the Miami Heat. But at least one admits the Heat’s salary-cap situation could make it difficult.
 
Because they are over the salary cap, the Heat at most will be able to offer a free agent the mid-level exception of $5 million. That might not be enough to entice center Samuel Dalembert.
 
“Yeah, that would be tough," Dalembert said Monday in a phone interview with FOX Sports Florida about signing with the Heat for that amount. “But you never know. There are trades and things that you could do."
 
Dalembert made $13.43 million last season with the Sacramento Kings, which means the mid-level exception would result in a huge pay cut. He was asked if a sign-and-trade might be more realistic option for him to end up with Miami.
 
“Maybe something like that," said Dalembert, who spoke from his home in Boca Raton, Fla.
 
Dalembert told FOX Sports Florida last week that the three teams he’s targeting are the Heat, New York and Houston. It sounds as if the Rockets, with a gaping hole at center due to the retirement of Yao Ming and plenty of money to spend in free agency, are his preference at this point.
 
“Houston, that one is the best," said Dalembert. He later added, “I’m interested in the Rockets. They have a good team over there, a running team."
 
Dalembert, who averaged 8.1 points and 8.2 rebounds last season, did say “chances are still open" he could re-sign with the Kings. He said he exchanged text messages with Sacramento coach Paul Westphal on Monday, the first day teams could resume contacting players after a five-month lockout. Dalembert said the exchange of texts was along the lines of both the coach and center being eager to get back to work.
 
The Heat is desperate for a center entering the free-agency signing period, which begins Friday. The incumbent starter is Joel Anthony, who averaged a meager 2 points and 3.5 rebounds last season.
 
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is under contract but he will retire. And free agents Erick Dampier and Jamaal Magloire are unlikely to be retained.
 
But big men get paid in the NBA, and the Heat might have the money to land an upper-echelon center. The team also is interested in Nene, who is flirting with leaving Denver. But he will command much more than a starting salary of $5 million.
 
To have the $5 million mid-level exception, the Heat almost assuredly would need to waive Mike Miller as part of an amnesty clause in the new collective bargaining agreement. If the Heat is more than $4 million over the luxury tax, a likely scenario if Miller is retained, the exception would be worth only $3 million.
 
If a top center can’t be had, the Heat might turn its attention to a veteran looking foremost to win a ring. One possibility is forward Shane Battier, 33, who could be a replacement for Miller. Battier, who averaged 7.6 points last season with Houston and Memphis is a defensive stalwart and unselfish player who would seem to fit right in for Miami.
 
The Heat then could use the $1.9 million bi-annual exception on a lower-grade center, one who could share minutes with Anthony. A possibility there is Kwame Brown, who resurrected his career a bit last season with Charlotte.
 
Brown, the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NBA draft, averaged 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Bobcats. That was his best scoring season since 2006-07 and his best rebounding one since 2003-04.
 
The Heat also need help at point guard. Mario Chalmers is a restricted free agent, but said in October he wants to re-sign.
 
Chalmers might not be the long-term answer. But the Heat likely doesn’t have the money now to do any better.
 
The Heat have nine players committed for next season, including unsigned first-round pick Norris Cole, for about $67 million. That counts players who have been waived but are still owed money.
 
With the luxury tax expected to be at about $70 million, the Heat could let Miller go and be enough under the tax line to get the $5 million exception, rather than the $3 million one. But even the $5 million one could make it tough to land an top-notch free agent.
 
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson