The Miami Heat are desperately trying to shed payroll. After agreeing to terms with Dwyane Wade on a one-year, $20 million deal and Goran Dragic on a five-year, $90 million deal, the only way the Heat can sign any other players is through the mid-level exception (worth around $3.4 million) or the veteran's minimum. This is because Miami will be facing a large luxury tax bill for going over the salary cap. This is in spite of recent news that the 2015-16 salary cap will jump to roughly $70 million, $7 million more than the previous season's salary cap. Wade and Dragic aren't going anywhere, so this gives you an idea of the players the Heat are looking to deal. Miami's payroll is in excess of $90 million at the current moment, putting them over the NBA's soft salary cap and deep into the luxury tax. They can get below the luxury tax line of $84.7 million by dealing a few players. We know the Heat will deal somebody before the end of the offseason, but who exactly will it be? Here are the five players most likely to be dealt by Miami: 1. Chris Andersen It is no secret that the team has been trying to deal Chris Andersen for the past month. Now new reports suggest that the Heat are willing to part ways with Andersen for "almost nothing." Andersen is a 37-year-old big man who has made a career of playing high-energy basketball. He has survived in the NBA over the past 14 years by specializing in blocking shots and making hustle plays. When the Heat were built around LeBron James, Andersen thrived because James made every player on the court better offensively. The "Birdman" was able to score points off of James' assists or off of easy putback baskets. What having LeBron on the court also meant was that offensively-weak players like Andersen were not depended upon to carry much of an offensive workload. Miami no longer has a player of that magnitude, which means that the Blinn College product doesn't have much of a place on the current roster. What doesn't help the veteran is that he is due to earn $5 million next season and has an expiring contract following the season. A lot of teams will be interested in having cap space for the 2016 offseason, which makes Andersen a valuable trade chip. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 2. Mario Chalmers When Mario Chalmers re-signed with the Heat for two years last offseason, the entire Heat fan base was shocked. Chalmers was coming off a terrible NBA Finals performance that saw him get benched during the series against the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Many expected Miami to allow 'Rio to walk in free agency, especially after acquiring Napier, but that was not to be. In hindsight, James' departure to the Cleveland Cavaliers gave reason for Pat Riley to re-sign the inconsistent Chalmers. It is clear the Heat were trying to keep some sort of stability in the aftermath of LeBron leaving, which gave reason for the re-signing of a player who had been with the franchise his entire professional career. That was then, this is now—the 29-year-old point guard has an expiring contract worth $4.3 million for the 2015-16 season. He is an interesting trade piece because of his expiring deal, and because he could conceivably play a key role as a scorer off the bench for many NBA squads. It also doesn't hurt that he's a veteran of four NBA Finals series, having won two of them as a starter. Despite his inefficiency last season—40.3 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from beyond the arc—his experience and veteran savvy will be traits coveted by other teams this offseason. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 3. Josh McRoberts This selection may come as a surprise to Heat fans, but it's really not when you think about Josh McRoberts. McRoberts is a hybrid 6'10" power forward/small forward capable of shooting three-pointers and distributing the basketball as a playmaker. At just 28 years of age, he is in the thick of his prime and has three years left on his contract. He is due to earn $5.5 million next season, $5.8 million in 2016-17 and $6 million during the 2017-18 season. Unlike most of the aforementioned players on this list, McRoberts represents true value as player capable of starting for a contending team, or as a veteran role player off the bench. He has been a starter and a bench player during his eight years in the NBA, so it won't be much of an adjustment for the veteran forward. When you factor in that the Heat just drafted a small forward with similar ability in terms of athleticism and playmaking in Justise Winslow, it makes McRoberts even more expendable. With Miami's free agency pursuits of veteran big men such as Amar'e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer, the franchise may be preparing itself to trade the 28-year-old forward. Though Riley has stated that he wants the core lineup—including McRoberts—to return for next season, the Heat can shed some serious payroll and attract some suitors by dangling the University of Duke product as a trade piece. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 4. Udonis Haslem The first thought going through Heat Nation is, why would the franchise deal such a beloved figure like Udonis Haslem? Simple reason—this is a business. There are other players more likely to be traded with higher value than Haslem, but he remains an intriguing trade piece because he has an expiring contract that is over after this upcoming season. The 12-year veteran is due to earn almost $2.9 million next year. At this point, Haslem can't do much. He never had great athleticism in the first place, he never had a refined offensive game and his value to an NBA franchise is limited to merely leadership, experience and toughness. In other words, outside of the Heat, he won't find minutes in your typical NBA rotation. However, he becomes a realistic trade piece, especially when paired with younger Heat players in a package deal. The fact that he has an expiring contract and that he can be used to package with more coveted players is what will make the idea of trading Haslem become very real over the coming weeks. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] 5. Shabazz Napier The idea of trading Shabazz Napier doesn't make much sense from a salary standpoint. After all, he is due to earn just under $1.3 million for the 2015-16 season. Making matters even better for the franchise is the fact that the Heat hold team options for the 2016 and 2017 offseasons. Yet, Zach Lowe of ESPN reports that Miami has put out "feelers" in regards to trading the 23-year-old point guard. Trading Napier makes sense for one reason—the team doesn't believe he has much of a future with the franchise. When the University of Connecticut product was acquired last summer it was with the idea he'd be the team's franchise point guard for the future. That all went down the drain once Dragic was acquired last February and agreed to terms at the beginning of the free agency period. When factoring in that Tyler Johnson could very well be Dragic's backup for next season, the Heat don't have much room for the former first-round draft pick to contribute. Similar to Haslem, but for different reasons, Napier can be dangled in a trade package with another player to entice suitors. Unlike UD, the point guard could still very well develop into a long-term starter in this league if given an opportunity by another NBA franchise. It just won't happen in Miami, which is likely why the Heat are attempting to trade the young guard. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"]
