Mario Chalmers is likely on his way out of Miami.
The Miami Heat point guard has been on the trade block this offseason and it appears to only be a matter of time before he’s traded to another team. Chalmers is due to earn $4.3 million for the upcoming season and only has one year left on his deal. The veteran will be an intriguing backcourt option for teams that are in desperate need of an experienced player to run their offense.
Because luxury tax penalties aren’t computed until the end of the season, the Heat may just hold on to Chalmers until the trade deadline during the 2015-16 season.
Regardless, Chalmers is literally being dangled for nothing as Miami prepares to move forward with Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson as its point guards.
There are NBA clubs out there that need a short-term fix at the point guard position, and Chalmers is likely the best option on the market at this point in time.
Here are the five most likely trade destinations for the seven-year veteran:
1. Portland Trail Blazers
After finishing the 2014-15 season as Northwest Division champions, the Portland Trail Blazers received a rude awakening in the first round of the NBA Playoffs when they were soundly defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies, 4-1, in an extremely lopsided series.
The Blazers had a terrible offseason as they saw key players such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum and Arron Afflalo all depart for teams elsewhere. Franchise figure Damian Lillard is the only starter that returns, which means the Blazers are likely in for a rough season next year.
While Lillard is obviously the team’s starting point guard, Chalmers could find a role as the primary backup at point, and a key scorer as a shooting guard off the bench.
The Blazers have plenty of cap space, so ‘Rio’s $4.3 million cap won’t be an issue.
While Chalmers won’t lead Portland to the playoffs, he could be a valuable short-term rental as a key rotation player for a team lacking stability.
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