Ira Winderman: Shift in NBA calendar means trades soon could be brewing for Heat

During a typical NBA season, we would have hit significant personnel deadlines by this point of the calendar, with the first week of January when contracts normally become guaranteed for the season and 10-day contracts can begin to be extended.

It was in this timeframe a year ago when the Miami Heat signed Gabe Vincent, released Daryl Macon, converted Chris Silva to a standard contract and then signed Kyle Alexander.

This, of course, with its Dec. 23 start and reduced 72-game schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, hardly is a typical NBA season.

Still, there are upcoming dates that both will affect the Heat and the NBA overall, most coming a month to six weeks later than usual.

A look at the impact of the rejiggered NBA calendar from a Heat perspective:

— Feb. 6: This is the first day, by contractual rules, the Heat can trade any of Goran Dragic, Meyers Leonard, Udonis Haslem, Avery Bradley and Moe Harkless,

Because of their incumbent status, Dragic, Leonard and Haslem only can be traded with their consent. The exception there would be if the Heat were to guarantee the 2021-22 team option on the deals of Dragic and Leonard, who then would lose such right of refusal.

The Heat’s offseason signings were conducted to maintain salary-cap/trade flexibility for both this season and the upcoming offseason, which could make Feb. 6 particularly meaningful.

At the moment, the easiest way for the Heat to balance salaries in a deal for an elite, high-budget player, such as Bradley Beal or Victor Oladipo, would be to include the $15 million salary of Andre Iguodala and/or the $12.6 million salary of Kelly Olynyk. On Feb. 6, though, Leonard’s $9.4 million salary could potentially be added to such permutations.

— Feb. 23: This is the first day that teams can sign players to 10-day contracts. With a full, 17-player roster, this does not stand as an option for the Heat at the moment.

However, should the Heat consummate a trade in this time frame, a 10-day contract could lead to a rolling series of tryouts.

The list of those the Heat have signed to 10-day contracts over the year includes current television analyst John Crotty, as well as Chris “Birdman” Andersen, Tyler Johnson and Okaro White.

— Feb. 27: This is the day that all contracts become guaranteed for the season, a deadline that will not affect the Heat directly, with all players on the roster already guaranteed for the season.

It is a deadline, however, when players could shake free elsewhere around the league, possibly leading to roster reshuffling.

— March 4: This is the conclusion of the first half of the NBA schedule, which will allow the league to recalibrate for any games postponed by the pandemic over the season’s first 2 1/2 months.

The Heat’s Jan. 10 game in Boston, postponed due to contact tracing, falls into that category.

— March 5-10: The league is terming this as the “NBA All-Star break,” with currently no plans to stage such an event.

It is possible games postponed over the first half of the season could be scheduled here.

— March 22: Not a league deadline, but this is when the Heat’s $7.6 million trade exception expires from last season’s trade of James Johnson to the Memphis Grizzlies (who then forwarded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves).

The exception can only be used in a trade and cannot be aggregated with another salary or another exception for a player who makes more than that amount.

— March 25: NBA trade deadline.

The Heat at last season’s deadline acquired Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill in exchange for Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and Johnson.

The Heat’s lone trade at the 2019 was the salary-cap dump of Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ryan Anderson, whose contract subsequently was waived and stretched.

At the 2018 deadline, the Heat reacquired Dwyane Wade and Luke Babbitt.

— Mid-April: The NBA buyout deadline for playoff eligibility with another team typically is three weeks after the trade deadline, on March 1. This season, it has been pushed back.

The Heat have not utilized the buyout deadline in recent years, although in 2016 they bolstered the playoff roster with Dorell Wright.