NBA Free Agency Rumors: Heat don't want to overpay for Waiters; Lakers interested
Miami wants Waiters back, but only at the right price
Dion Waiters basically saved his career last year with the Miami Heat, so he's not in any hurry to leave.
Waiters has already publicly said that he wants to re-sign with the Heat "as quick as possible" once his free agency period beings this summer. Miami seems to have similar feelings toward the 25-year-old guard, but the front office reportedly wants to make sure they're getting him at the right price.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
Though there had been some concern that Dion Waiters' former agent, new Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, might make a big offer for Waiters this summer, Lakers executive Magic Johnson – whose team has $23 million in cap space – told reporters: "I'm really looking to keep the cap space that we have and really try to play in next year's free agent class, and not really this free agent class."
The Heat wants to keep Waiters but doesn't want to overpay.
The fourth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Waiters had largely been a disappointment with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder before finding a home in his first year in Miami last season. The 6-4 power guard averaged a career-high 15.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds, though he was limited to just 46 games due to injury. He was also instrumental in the Heat's second-half resurgence that almost earned the team a playoff spot after a brutal 11-30 start to the season.
Waiters is a prime candidate to be overpaid. His talent has been evident since he came into the league, and doing what he did for 46 games last season was just enough to give the appearance that he's on the cusp of reaching his full potential. Whether it's the Lakers or someone else, Waiters will likely get large offers this summer. No matter how much Waiters has loved his time in Miami, at this point in his career he's not going to turn down significantly more money to stay.
Now it's up to the Heat to determine how much is too much.
















