The Miami Heat have a bloated roster and that's a good problem to have. Coming off of a 37-45 non-playoff season, Pat Riley has ensured that the Heat will remain relevant. He spent this free agency period re-signing key players while bringing in new ones such as Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green. The Heat are not used to losing as a franchise, and Riley stressed that last season was an anomaly: “The expectation for us is I just want to keep the team and hope the team can stay healthy. I believe they will. I think all the players are coming back highly motivated. And I think with a complete roster that we can contend in the East, and that’s where it all starts — and I mean contend high. That’s the way it’s been the last 20 years. We’re gonna go for it. I don’t think we’ll ever be a team that does three, four, five years of rebuilding.” As a result, Miami has beefed up its roster—18 players are essentially competing for 15 roster spots. A lot can happen between now and the beginning of the season in late October. Players such as Chris Andersen, Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier are rumored to be on the trade block. While we don't know exactly who will be on their way out, we do know the Heat need to trim some players from their roster. Here is how Miami's 15-man roster should look like by the time the regular season rolls around. Point Guard Starter: Goran Dragic Reserves: Tyler Johnson, Shabazz Napier Odd Man Out: Mario Chalmers There is little doubt that Goran Dragic is the present and the future after signing what is essentially a five-year deal worth $90 million with the Heat. Though Napier was acquired last summer with the intention that he'd be the team's starting point guard, that is not to be. However, that does not mean he can't find a role with this franchise as a key reserve. Assuming he's not traded, he will have every opportunity to compete with Tyler Johnson to be Dragic's top backup. Johnson will likely make the transition from shooting guard to point this season due to the overload at the off-guard position. Napier is due to earn just under $1.3 million this season. Considering his contract combined with his youth and upside, it would be silly to trade him. Chalmers is due to earn $4.3 million this upcoming season and he will likely be the odd man out via trade. Next: Shooting Guard [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Shooting Guard Starter: Dwyane Wade Reserves: Gerald Green, Zoran Dragic, Josh Richardson Dwyane Wade is the face of the franchise and will continue to be until the day he's not wearing a Heat uniform anymore. After a resurgent season that saw him rank 11th in the NBA in points per game, Miami re-signed the veteran guard to a one-year, $20 million deal. While Wade remains entrenched as the starter, he'll have some heavy backup—Green was signed to be a key scorer off the bench while the lesser-known Dragic looks to make a bigger impact in Miami after playing sparingly last season. Josh Richardson was the team's second-round draft pick this year and had an impressive summer league. He averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. He is also capable of playing point guard and small forward. He played point while at the University of Tennessee last season. Because he can be signed to the minimum as a second-round draft pick, expect Miami to keep Richardson and develop him on a veteran-heavy team this upcoming season. Next: Small Forward [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Small Forward Starter: Luol Deng Reserves: Justise Winslow, James Ennis Odd Man Out: Henry Walker Luol Deng unexpectedly exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season and will enter training camp as the starting small forward. Though he wasn't sensational, he was a stable and consistent presence for a team that lacked those traits last season. Deng played and started in 72 games while scoring 14 points on 46.9 percent from the field. While he will enter camp and the season as the starter, it is No. 10 overall pick Justise Winslow that will be the player to watch from this position. Winslow is an athletic swingman capable of excelling on the fastbreak while playing excellent defense. He is essentially a younger version of former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Metta World Peace. The University of Duke product could eventually unseat Deng as the starter as the season progresses. James Ennis had a terrible summer league showing which has led to speculation that he could be on his way out of Miami. However, the team has already made arrangements for Ennis deep into August, which likely means they plan to keep him around. In addition to being just a second-year player, Ennis has a low cap hit at just $845,000 for the upcoming season. On the other hand, Henry Walker played in 24 games and started 13 of them towards the end of last season, and he does hold a partially guaranteed contract for next season. However, of all of the aforementioned players at this position, he holds the least value. Had Deng not opted in, Walker likely would have been a shoe-in for a roster spot. Now that Deng is back combined with two young forwards that the Heat hold in high regard, it's hard to find a place for Walker on this roster. Next: Power Forward [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Power Forward Starter: Chris Bosh Reserves: Josh McRoberts, Udonis Haslem Chris Bosh will slide back to his natural four position now that Hassan Whiteside is a proven commodity. With Bosh as the starter, Josh McRoberts will return after missing virtually the entire season due to a serious knee injury. When McRoberts signed a multi-year deal with Miami last summer, it was with the expectation that he'd be a part of the starting five. Things change quickly in the NBA and McRoberts will likely be looked to as a sixth-man of sorts as a power forward off the bench. The 12-year veteran Udonis Haslem will be looked to as the team's fifth big man and for tough minutes when needed. Next: Center [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Center Starter: Hassan Whiteside Reserve: Amar'e Stoudemire Odd Man Out: Chris Andersen Whiteside was signed as a street free agent last November with zero fanfare. He ended the 2014-15 season as the team's starting center and finished fourth in voting for the Most Improved Player of the Year award. It's worth noting he made just 48 appearances; had he played the entire season, he likely would have won the award. With Whiteside as the returning starter, Stoudemire will do what he does best at this point of his career, and that's provide scoring as a reserve big man. Stoudemire is capable of playing either center or power forward, so his versatility will help as he'll average around 20-to-24 minutes per game. The odd man out here is Chris Andersen. While Andersen was a valuable commodity during the Heat's championship years, he is 37 years old with a $5.3 million cap figure. That is simply too much money for a reserve center who can't give you any more than 19 minutes and six points per game. With the Heat needing to cut down its roster, Andersen will be one of the three veterans on his way out. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"]
