Miami Heat weigh Westbrook pursuit as roster, tax pressures mount
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The Miami Heat are not expected to make a strong push for free-agent guard Russell Westbrook, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. In his report dated Aug. 4, Winderman wrote that Westbrook is believed to prefer signing with a club that has a clearer path to title contention, while Miami would face cap and luxury-tax complications by adding any veteran at this stage of the offseason.
Even if both sides showed interest, the 36-year-old former MVP would likely open as the fourth guard in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation behind Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell, Winderman noted.
Powell working out nearby—with Jamaica
Powell, acquired from the Clippers last month, is currently training in South Florida but not with the Heat. The 31-year-old wing joined the Jamaican national team’s camp at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton as the squad prepares for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas pre-qualifiers. “I was expecting training camp to be in Jamaica, but then I learned that it was in Boca,” Powell told the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “Being traded to the Heat, being so close to where I’ll be playing and being able to go down there and go to the facility, look for a place to stay—it’s definitely cool.”
Bridges deal could shape Herro talks
Winderman also pointed to Mikal Bridges’ new four-year, $150 million extension with the New York Knicks—an average of $37.5 million per season—as a potential benchmark when the Heat reopen long-term negotiations with Herro. While Bridges has never earned an All-Star selection or major NBA award, he is regarded as a stronger two-way contributor, leaving questions about whether that salary level would satisfy Herro’s camp.
Imagem: Dana Gauruder via hoopsrumors.com
Fontecchio possible stretch candidate
The columnist added that Miami could deploy the NBA’s stretch provision before the Aug. 29 deadline to slip below the luxury-tax line. Forward Simone Fontecchio, obtained in the Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade with Detroit, is viewed as the primary option. Stretching his $8.3 million expiring contract would spread the hit to roughly $2.7 million annually over the next three seasons.
Source: Hoops Rumors
