National Basketball Association

A closer look at Heat roster depth heading into draft

Published Jun. 7, 2015 12:00 p.m. ET

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In contrast to the extensive roster shuffling the Miami Heat were forced to make beginning last summer in the wake of LeBron James' departure and continuing through the regular season due to injuries and a blockbuster trade, the team entered the offseason with most of their players returning under contract and a bright outlook.

The thinking was that Dwyane Wade, as well as Luol Deng, would both return by likely choosing to opt in for the final year of their contracts. Miami would also ink starting point guard Goran Dragic to a lucrative multi-year deal to lock him up as the final piece of a potentially robust starting five for next season and beyond.

Alas, protracted contract negotiations between Wade and the Heat front office have thrown a monkey wrench into that rosy offseason outlook. If Wade is unwilling to take a pay cut and come to terms with team president Pat Riley once the official start of free agency negotiations begin the first week of July, the team's fortunes change drastically and Dragic may not be as compelled to return either.

The Heat must be careful with their future salary cap situation as they will also need to re-sign Hassan Whiteside next year without any significant financial advantage over any other NBA team, as they presently do with Dragic because they own his Bird Rights. Whiteside's performance over the course of his first full season with the Heat will go a long way towards what kind of salary he will be able to command. Over the course of 48 games, Whiteside was sensational with averages of 11.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks despite playing several games with a heavily bandaged right hand.

With players shuffling in and out of the rotation, the Heat were able to get satisfactory production from bargain-priced players eager to prove they belonged in the NBA. Young players like Tyler Johnson, James Ennis and Shabazz Napier were inconsistent but also showed plenty of promise for the future and will be counted on to continue developing moving forward.

Over the course of last season, the team phased out aging veterans Shannon Brown, Shawne Williams and Danny Granger in favor of giving the younger players more of an opportunity. Veteran holdovers from the Big 3 era -- Mario Chalmers, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem -- remained integral members of the Heat's bench and will continue to serve the same role next season. Zoran Dragic, who arrived with his brother Goran in the midseason trade with the Phoenix Suns, played sparingly off the bench but displayed an intriguing skill set in the Heat's season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers.

With the loss of forwards Josh McRoberts and Chris Bosh for the season, a reunion with former lottery pick Michael Beasley in the second half of the season gave the team a much-needed boost from the bench. His former college teammate Henry Walker also had his moments with the team after signing a pair of 10-day contracts and put forth maximum effort on both ends of the floor.

So where does that leave the Heat for next season?

Assuming Wade and Deng eventually return and Dragic signs a new contract with the Heat, the team would not only be set with their starting five but also with their core rotation.

A healthy McRoberts would supplant Andersen as the go-to big man off the bench among a crowded frontcourt with Whiteside getting the majority of the minutes, though his issues with staying on the court because of foul trouble could still mean plenty of minutes for the likes of Andersen and Haslem.

The backcourt remains a work in progress however as coach Erik Spoelstra will need to decide which roles Chalmers and second-year guard Shabazz Napier will take off the bench. Chalmers went from being a starter in the preseason to backing up Norris Cole at the start of the regular season and later Dragic in the final months of the season. Napier's minutes fluctuated wildly during his rookie season and his development during the offseason and in summer league will be closely monitored by the coaching staff. The same goes for Johnson, who dazzled at times with his athleticism and knack for making big plays.

Miami has little wiggle room to make roster improvements and as such Beasley and Walker may be invited to training camp but their place on the team is far from assured.

Of course, the biggest question mark continues to be Wade and his future with the team. Should he return, Spoelstra will have to decide just how large of an offensive role Wade will take alongside Dragic and how healthy he can be through the course of the season.

This is where the Heat's lottery pick comes into play. Miami will be limited with how much money they can dangle prospective free agents -- likely in the form of a mid-level cap exception -- so getting a quality player at No. 10 that can add depth to the backcourt will be paramount to their success in upgrading the roster this offseason.

Two key areas of need -- 3-point shooting and upgraded perimeter defense -- must be addressed but it remains to be seen if a rookie can hit the ground running and immediately help the team. The Heat traditionally have not relied on rookies this heavily, but the events that unfolded in the past year have forced the issue and young talent will not only provide cheaper labor but hope for the future.

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com .