CHICAGO _ In the NBA, getting busy in the offseason means sitting tight until Dec. 15. Such are the rules of free agency, with players signed in the offseason not eligible to be dealt until Dec. 15 at the earliest (or three months after their signing, whichever is later).
The Heat, of course, got plenty busy in July, with the free-agent deals with Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, Udonis Haslem, Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington, James Johnson, Willie Reed and Derrick Williams.
That makes Thursday the first day that nearly half the roster becomes trade eligible.
We say nearly because Tyler Johnson has a Jan. 15 trade-eligibility date due to how he was signed, and even that could prove moot, with Johnson also holding the right to block any trade this season after the Heat matched the Brooklyn Nets' offer sheet in restricted free agency.
So Pat Riley is about to get busy again?
Most likely not, at least not right away.
For all the dealing Riley has done over his two-plus decades with the Heat, and even dating to the inception of the franchise 29 years ago, the Heat have never made a trade in December. Ever.
Last season, there actually was an early start from Riley, with the Heat moving Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies along with James Ennis for Beno Udrih and Jarnell Stokes in November. But that move was made for luxury-tax relief, a non-factor this season for the Heat, who are safely below the threshold and no longer in danger of the onerous repeater tax.
So figure on Thursday merely becoming an accounting day, when the Heat can begin, if necessary, to consider the possibilities of turning the contracts of some of their offseason free agents into something more forward-thinking, perhaps showcasing for draft picks, which remains scant for the Heat going forward.
But it won't be until Feb. 9, when the Heat can apply for salary-cap relief from Chris Bosh's contract, on the one-year anniversary of his last game played, that the Heat figure to consider anything weighty on the trade market, when another $24 million of flexibility could come into play.
There also is another reason the Heat could be put on hold: Just as the Heat were beginning to build potential trade value in players such as Waiters and James Johnson, pieces that could intrigue contenders seeking to add veteran depth, injuries got in the way. Now there are short-term questions with both, potential showcasing put on hold.
Still, Thursday could be the starting point for something bigger, so with the de facto start of trading season about to begin, a look at how the calendar impacts each member of the Heat roster:
_Luke Babbitt: Already trade eligible, with the added bonus of transferable Bird Rights.
_Chris Bosh: Feb. 9 is the key date here. That, the one-year anniversary of his last game played, is the first day the Heat can apply to have his salary removed from their salary cap due to a career-ending illness, with plenty of machinations to follow from both sides.
_Goran Dragic: Already trade eligible.
_Wayne Ellington: Becomes trade eligible Dec. 15.
_Udonis Haslem: Already trade eligible, but cannot be traded this season without his consent.
_James Johnson: Becomes trade eligible Dec. 15.
_Tyler Johnson: Becomes trade eligible Jan. 15. Cannot be traded this season without his consent. Cannot be traded to Brooklyn Nets this season. Has a 15 percent trade kicker.
_Rodney McGruder: Already trade eligible. Contract not fully guaranteed until Jan. 10.
_Josh McRoberts: Already trade eligible.
_Willie Reed: Becomes trade eligible Dec. 15.
_Josh Richardson: Already trade eligible.
_Dion Waiters: Becomes trade eligible Dec. 15. Has a 15 percent trade kicker.
_Hassan Whiteside: Becomes trade eligible on Dec. 15.
_Derrick Williams: Becomes trade eligible Dec. 15.
_Justise Winslow: Already trade eligible.
