The Heat carry a $206.9M payroll, over the $200.4M tax line, and sit 0-3. The money is locked into two stars, and the picks to trade are mostly spoken for.
Over the line
Miami's payroll is $206.9M. The tax line is $200.4M, so the club pays for this roster. The first apron sits at $209.0M and the second at $221.7M, with the cap at $165.0M. The Heat are not at the apron, but they are close enough that any addition needs a matching salary going out. Paying tax for an 0-3 team is not a plan.
Two contracts rule
Giannis Antetokounmpo earns $58.5M and Bam Adebayo $49.8M. Andrew Wiggins is next at $30.2M, then Nikola Jovic at $16.2M and Bobby Portis at $14.5M. Those five are the core of the bill. Wiggins scored 7 in the opener against Minnesota. At $30.2M, that number is an accountability issue.
Options decide 2027-28
Antetokounmpo holds a $62.8M player option for 2027-28 and Adebayo is set at $53.8M. Wiggins drops to $16.3M. Portis has a $15.6M player option, Klay Thompson a $5.9M player option and Pelle Larsson a $13.4M team option, up from $2.3M now. Larsson's jump is the one to watch: Miami must decide if his 15 points and 7 rebounds in Charlotte justify it. Dru Smith has a $2.9M team option.
What leaves
Davion Mitchell at $12.4M, Tim Hardaway Jr. at $6.5M, Nick Richards at $2.4M and Simone Fontecchio at $2.4M do not appear on the 2027-28 sheet. Mitchell is the loss that matters. He scored 22 on 8-of-13 shooting at Charlotte. Letting him walk would cost real production.
Picks and room
The 2027 first-rounder is protected to Charlotte and the 2028 first is conditional to Charlotte. The 2028 second is conditional to Detroit. The 2029 first is the first one Miami owns outright. Second-round swaps run through 2030. That leaves thin trade capital, a payroll over the tax line and two max-level salaries. Flexibility this year is close to zero. The only fix is winning, starting with Dallas on Monday.
What is the Heat's payroll for 2026-27?
It is $206.9M, above the $200.4M luxury tax line. The first apron is $209.0M and the second apron is $221.7M.
Do the Heat own their first-round picks?
Not fully. The 2027 first is protected to Charlotte and the 2028 first is conditional to Charlotte. The 2029 first is the first one Miami owns outright.
