Heat cut Miller as team’s amnesty player, saving against luxury bill
Miami (AP) — Mike Miller was a luxury that the Miami Heat decided they could no longer afford.
Miller was designated Tuesday as the team’s amnesty player, a move that may save the Heat more than $30 million in luxury tax payments over the next two years and comes only a few days after team president Pat Riley said the two-time defending NBA champions were hoping to keep the core of the roster largely intact for next season.
But with the team’s tax bill set to be bigger than ever — depending on what the final payroll numbers are, the Heat could pay as much as $2.50 per $1 they are over the salary-cap threshold for this coming season under the league’s new and more punitive rules — the team ultimately made the call to part with Miller, a move that he suspected was coming.
“I understand the business side of basketball,” Miller told The Associated Press. “It’s a combination of being very, very thankful for the opportunity that I’ve had, but it hurts that we had a chance to do something very, very special and I’d love to have been a part of it.”
Riley said the team tried to trade Miller, then had to make “a very difficult decision” to use the one-time amnesty provision on him. He said the team’s managing general partner Micky Arison, CEO Nick Arison and coach Erik Spoelstra all struggled with the decision.
Miller would have made $6.2 million this season, and $6.6 million next season. He still gets that money, but his salary will not count against Miami’s cap, nor will it count against a luxury-tax hit that was in line to exceed $30 million this coming season alone.
“I love Mike. We all love Mike,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said as the news of the decision broke. “It’s tough to lose one of our brothers. But I think we all understand it’s not personal. It’s a business decision.”
If Miller is not claimed off waivers, he becomes a free agent later this week. It’s believed he would like to play for a title contender, and a return to Memphis — where he spent parts of six seasons — would likely appeal to Miller.