ORLANDO, Fla. - How taxing is it to rebuild from the NBA's cellar?
Heat President Pat Riley might soon find out.
Despite a goal of avoiding the NBA's luxury-tax threshold of $71.2 million in 2008-09 payroll, the Heat, just four days into the offseason signing period, already is at $68 million.
That figure includes the contracts of Joel Anthony, Marcus Banks, Michael Beasley, Mark Blount, Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook, Udonis Haslem, James Jones, Stephane Lasme, Shawn Marion, Dwyane Wade and the qualifying offer in place to Dorell Wright, as well as the $1.7 million payoff to released guard Smush Parker.
That $68 million does not include the $1 million offers in place to Chris Quinn and Kasib Powell.
The figure could be reduced by as much as $3 million if Wright and Lasme are allowed to depart, but it essentially removes the possibility of utilizing either Ricky Davis or Jason Williams in sign-and-trade free-agent transactions, or having either return at more than a minimum salary.
As it is, should Alonzo Mourning return at anything above the veteran minimum, it would put the Heat hard against the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax even without utilizing its $1.9 million lower-level exception, its lone remaining salary-cap chip beyond trades.
Against that backdrop, Riley departed the Orlando Pro Summer League and headed back to work, aware that much more is needed for a revival from last season's 15-67 finish.
"We don't want to pay the tax," Riley said. "We don't want to be a tax team."
The Heat this past week not only was issued an $8.3 million tax bill for 2007-08, but also lost out on the $4 million rebate issued to non-taxpayers.
"Last year was the first time ever," Riley said of paying the tax. "We didn't like it."
Now it seems creative accounting is the preference, turning what already is on the books into something more tangible on the floor through the trade market.
"There is a possibility some money might go out," Riley said. "We're not done at all. We're talking every day. We'd like to fortify our point guard position and we'd like to get a (center)."
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