The Miami Heat have decided let go and waive Mike Miller using the NBA’s amnesty provision. Though the Heat will still have to pay Miller the $12.8million he is owed from signing with the franchise, Miami will save $17million in luxury taxes this year. He was provided with 48 hours to relax and think about his options, during this waiver process, where teams under salary cap can bid on him. Pat Riley claimed they “had to” amnesty Miller, after a failed attempted in exploring trading options for him. After the waiver process, he is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere.
This move comes as a surprise, as Pat Riley told the press he did not intend on using the amnesty clause on any of its players. It comes from upper management, though the move did save them money, it could cost them more than dollars in the long run.
Courtesy: Yahoo Sports
Mike Miller, former rookie of the year, did not play much for the Heat during the regular season and only averaged 4.8PPG,1.7APG and 2.7RPG. Though, he was an essential and clutch piece for the Heat to have. Even though Miller suffers from back problems, he made many contributions to help the Heat win back to back titles. For instance, Miller made seven 3-pointers for the Heat in a close out Game 5 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also, Miller grabbed a rebound that lead to a 3-pointer from James to keep the Heat’s hopes alive during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals.
Miller reminds me of John Paxson, who helped Jordan win the first string of championships with the Bulls. He, like Miller, was not a big regular season player, but provided major contributions during playoffs to win championships. For instance, he had a shooting percentage of .650, helping push the Bulls to win their first NBA championship. Two years later, Paxson nailed a game winning 3-pointer, during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, to give Chicago their 3rd straight championship.
I believe letting Mike Miller go will hurt the Heat in several ways. He was the Heat’s ’emergency starter’ if Wade couldn’t start. During this most recent year, when Wade was suffering on the bench, Miller was able to step up and provide what the Heat needed to continue their push playoff run.
Now that he is unrestricted, Miller could come back to haunt the Miami Heat if he signs with a competitive franchise. It has been reported that he is interested in signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This would be a big problem for Miami, if they Thunder and Heat meet up again the NBA Finals. The Thunder could use another 3-point shooter, if Miller can ball with James and Wade, I’m sure he will fit in with Westbrook and Durant.
During the playoffs, Mike Miller always rose to the occasion. In the most crucial times, you want guys like Miller on your bench. Finding a replacement who stays ready and does not have a big ego, that will fit into this unique roster, is not an easy task in today’s market. Mike Miller fit in perfectly with the Miami Heat; he seemed to be friends with everyone. He attended Florida with Udonis Haslem and was former teammates with Shane Battier in Memphis. Wade and Miller were also close friends and locker room buddies. The Heat may possibly have the most unique roster in the NBA and other than Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen, Miller leads up the colorful personalities.
Now that the Heat have cleared cap space, they could be going after Greg Oden, which seems like a risk, but only time will tell. It will be interesting to see where Mike Miller goes to “let it fly,” but his presence will be missed greatly in Miami.
Statistics credited to basketball-refernce.com and NBA.com
