Enormous deals helped capsize the Heat's plan

Sporting News, The, August 19, 1996 by Shaun Powell

For those who wondered how the Heat could steal Juwan Howard, give Alonzo Mourning the second-biggest contract in basketball, keep Tim Hardaway, buy P.J. Brown and still confine themselves to the limits of the salary cap, you have company.

The NBA wondered, too.

Now, what once was a summer to remember has become an offseason to dismember for Pat Riley and the Heat, who lost Howard and the fantasy of being an elite team this season.

Commissioner David Stern wanted no repeat of the Chris Dudley situation and was determined to punish anyone who violated the cap, out of fear that if one team got away with it, others would, too. That's why the penalty for the Heat was harsh and painful. The seven-year, $100 million contract with Howard was voided, and Howard once again became property of the Bullets.

Miami's crime was that it was too smart for its own good. Riley either knowingly violated the cap or was ignorant of the rules. Either way, no excuse. The loss of Howard will negatively affect the Heat next season and beyond.

By the start of August, the Heat had signed Howard, Brown and Hardaway to contracts in excess of $150 million and were committed to spend an additional $105 million on Mourning.

That was enough to raise the tempers of some teams and the antennae of the league office.

Sources say the league was alerted to the Heat's excesses by at least two teams, and once the league began its investigation, it uncovered evidence Miami had violated the cap.

The league said the contracts of Hardaway and Brown include easy-to-reach incentives based on winning a small number of home and regular-season games and whether the team made the playoffs, all of which were possible next season.

This type of interference on Stern's part sets a dangerous precedent because it puts the commissioner in the position of acting as a general manager. For example, what if an incentive for Brown was reaching 600 rebounds? Would Stern argue that because Brown had 560 last season with the Nets, getting 40 more would be too easily obtainable?

The Heat argued the incentives weren't likely to be earned, in which case they would not be counted toward the cap. But the league took a different position and said the incentives count. That reduced the amount of money the Heat could pay Howard in his first year from $9 million to $4.2 million and his overall package by nearly $35 million.

A larger issue was the $105 million agreement the league said Mourning had with Miami before it signed Howard. Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, teams can't have an oral understanding with a free agent before they sign others.

If Heat officials think this is a setback, wait until next season. They bankrolled Mourning, Brown and Hardaway with the idea of teaming them with Howard. Without Howard, they may be the most expensive 44-victory team in league history.

Because Mourning, Brown and Hardaway aren't the types who can make a big difference at the gate, they will be worth their enormous contracts only if the Heat put a championship-caliber team on the court. That appears to be wishful thinking, considering Miami had Mourning and Hardaway last season and managed only 42 wins before losing in the first round of the playoffs. And because of Mourning's enormous salary, the Heat will have trouble signing big-name free agents over the next few seasons.

At least Miami can look at its fate another way: Without Howard, those team-victory incentives for Brown and Hardaway suddenly are a challenge.

Meanwhile, who can comprehend the dumb luck of the Bullets? They lost Howard when they came in with a low-ball figure. After losing Howard's salary spot, they were able to sign 3-point shooter Tracy Murray and forward/center Lorenzo Williams, a shot-blocker who started 61 games for the Mavericks last season. The Bullets also traded for Rod Strickland. Then, presto, Howard falls into their lap on a technicality. Whoever said it's better to be lucky than good was right.