The rumors pointing out to the potential departure of Chris Andersen and Mario Chalmers from the Miami Heat locker room appear to be getting stronger as the beginning of the NBA season looms in on the NBA team. While no official announcement has been made by either the Miami Heat or the concerned NBA stars, speculations are rife that the budget concerns of the Dwyane Wade team are getting in the way of keeping the players.
Sports analysts point out that the manner by which the Heat execs are handling this issue might see the NBA team lose yet another batch of great NBA stars. The experts noted that the decision of Andersen and Chalmers to follow LeBron James' footsteps, when he opted to up and leave instead of putting up with the scrimping schemes of the Heat on his salary, will no longer be surprising.
"Though there is no absolute edict from owner Micky Arison to trim payroll (and that's beyond Miami's control to a large extent anyway), we're told the Heat still would prefer to lower its looming tax bill, which would be around $23 million if Miami closes the upcoming season with this current roster," disclosed Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Jackson went on to quote a source in the NBA who claims to be close to the matter and revealed that the Miami Heat remains "willing to dealing Chris Andersen (due $5 million) but hasn't found much of a market for him." While one of the most prevalent rumors at this point in the NBA community is the potential deal between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Heat. This deal will reportedly see the entry of Andersen to the Clippers locker room with the Heat welcoming Jamal Crawford in exchange. However, Jackson noted that there remains no proof that could shed light to the rumored trade between the Clippers and Miami Heat.
As for the reaction of Andersen, the "Birdman" remains cool and calm amid the rumors of trade surrounding his career in the Miami Heat. "It's a business, man," explained Chris in an interview with the Sun Sentinel. The Heat star also disclosed that the move, whether or not it will push through, "doesn't bother me one bit."
Meanwhile, the fate of Chalmers in the Heat roster also hangs in the balance. Jackson shared that the Miami Heat opted not to trade Chalmers in the meantime and instead chose to send him to training camp to play alongside Wade, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. At the moment, the Heat training camp has coach Erik Spoelstra observing the NBA stars.
