Re: ~*~2013 NBA Offseason Thread - Amnesty period & contact signings 7/10~*~
MIA would be DUMB as hell to get rid of Coley Cole... 
Yea true, but I'm a huge Nate Rob fan. I just feel what Nate brings is what Miami is molding Cole World to become, an energy guy off the bench at point. Cole can actually be more than a energy guy. That's just my take. Cole world is good and management feels the same way also. They planning to ride this ship for a while...luxury tax wtf ever!!!!!
Pat Riley: Heat are not running from NBA luxury tax
MIAMI—
* Miami Heat President Pat Riley insisted Friday that his team is not running from the NBA's luxury tax.
* Because of that, he stressed that his team also is not running from the contracts of forward Mike Miller and center Joel Anthony, even with the Heat facing a $33 million luxury-tax payment next June to the NBA based on the composition of the team's current roster and salary scale.
** "I want to try to keep this team intact as long as we can, because we have a championship basketball team here," he said. "I would hate to break any part of it up, that is productive and leads to winning."
* Speaking by phone from his office at AmericanAirlines Arena, Riley would not categorically say his team would bypass an amnesty release of Miller or Anthony to save against the NBA increasingly onerous luxury tax, but he reiterated his position is to move forward with the roster as currently constituted.
* "Right now, we're not using amnesty, no," he said, but qualifying it by adding, "as of today."
** While Riley stressed that owner Micky Arison is not simply going to cast aside needed talent to reduce his labor costs, he said the fiscal decisions ultimately rest with Arison.
** "He has proven," Riley said, "that he's willing to step up to the plate."
* *Based on the more-punitive luxury tax that kicks in this coming season, as well as the Heat's position above the salary cap, Miller's $6.2 million 2013-14 contract would trigger a $17 million tax payment this coming season, while Anthony's $3.8 million 2013-14 salary could trigger a tax of nearly $10 million. The tax liability on either one would be sharply reduced if the other was not on next season's final roster.
* Riley comments came in the midst of the NBA's annual one-week "amnesty" period, when eligible teams can release eligible players and not have the salary of that player count against the salary cap or luxury tax, while still paying off the released player. Such moves were made this week with the Los Angeles Lakers' Metta World Peace and the Charlotte Bobcats' Tyrus Thomas.
* For the Heat, only six players are eligible for an amnesty release, with a requirement that they had to have been under contract prior to the end of the 2011 NBA lockout. For the Heat, the six eligible players are LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Miller and Anthony, with Miller and Anthony the primary amnesty focus because of their lack of playing time in recent seasons.
** "We understand the economic-slash-basketball ramifications of where we are in the game today," Riley said. "We really understand that and we're very, I think, diligent when it comes to the economic-slash-basketball decisions that you have to make."
* Teams may utilize an amnesty release only once under the current collective-bargaining agreement, although the Heat could defer such a decision to next season or beyond.
* The Heat's willingness to spend deep into the tax came under increased focus with the Brooklyn Nets pushing their 2013-14 luxury-tax bill beyond $80 million with the offseason additions of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Andrei Kirilenko and Shaun Livingston.
* Riley said Friday the Heat's approach would not be swayed by the Nets' approach, stressing that Brooklyn is working within the rules established by the league.
** "What one other team does, I think it doesn't have any bearing on what we're thinking about," he said. "We're a three-time finalist. We won back-to-back championships. We've got our entire core back, signed, opted-in, and we're tickled to death with that."
** Riley, in fact, said even with the onerous luxury tax that the Heat had attempted to spend their $3.2 million taxpayer mid-level exception during free agency, but the overtures to youthful perimeter players that he declined to mention were exceeded by more lucrative bids elsewhere.
** "We weren't successful and we're going to save it, and we will use it if we have to use it, if the right player pops up," he said. "I'm not sure that who's available out there are people that we would offer it to now."
** Riley said the Heat remain interested in free-agent center Greg Oden, who is expected to defer his decision until next month as he works his way back from career-long knee issues.
** "We do have interest in him and we will track him," he said.
* *Riley said the Heat were not in contact with center Andrew Bynum, who ultimately took a free-agent deal from the Cleveland Cavaliers larger than the Heat could have offered.
** As for spending more on coach Erik Spoelstra, whose contract is approaching its end, Riley said, "He's one of the family here and as soon as that is broached, I'm sure it will be broached* in a very positive manner."
** Under the new formula that goes into effect starting this coming season, the Heat, by currently standing $16 million over the $71,748,000 luxury-tax threshold set Tuesday by the NBA, would have to write a tax check to the league of $33.6 million at season's end.
* To put that 2013-14 tax figure into perspective, the Heat, over their history, according to the highly respected computations of ShamSports.com, have previously paid a total of $36 million in tax payments, including $13.3 million on last season's championship roster.
** According to the NBA's new tax schedule, the tax is $1.5 dollar for each dollar on the first $5 million above the tax threshold, with a $1.75 rate on the next $5 million above, a $2.5 rate for the next $5 million, and $3.25 per dollar for exceeding the tax rate by $15 million, where the Heat currently stand.
** Because the tax bill is not computed until season's end, the Heat, through trades and other means, could reduce their tax bill in the interim.
** Under the Heat's current, pre-amnesty tax position, the addition of a player at the $3.2 million taxpayer mid-level exception that they still retain would come accompanied with a $10 million tax charge for 2013-14.
