Miami Heat Trade Rumors: Mario Chalmers Deal Shelved?

Miami Heat trade rumors about Mario Chalmers have taken a turn during the NBA offseason. The Miami Heat may now wish to hold on to Chalmers, at least until the front office and coaching staff can see how the team does when the preseason begins. A report from the Miami Herald states that the Heat wants to “take a long look at (Tyler) Johnson and Josh Richardson in training camp.”

Johnson and Richardson could provide the Heat with what Chalmers does off the bench, which would make him very expendable. The team is currently waiting, though, just in case Chalmers is better than the young pair. With Johnson cleared from a broken jaw that he suffered during the NBA Summer League, the roster is back at full-strength now. He will be able to show coaches what he can do, and it will be decided whether he has earned a lot of minutes for the coming season.

There have been Miami Heat trade rumors about Mario Chalmers for a while now, mostly because the team is trying to still shed some salary. Despite what Chalmers can offer the team in regard to depth and experience, he puts the roster further into the luxury tax penalties. He is due $4.3 million for the 2015-16 NBA season, so it also might be pretty easy to move Chalmers if the decision is officially made that he is expendable during camp.

Last season for the Heat, Chalmers averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He was playing 29.6 minutes a night, appearing in 80 games and starting 37 of them. Chalmers was a main piece with the second unit, but also had trouble shooting from the field. He was down to just 40.3 in his field goal percentage and had been averaging 2.2 turnovers per game. While he did provide some nice energy for the team, and has appeared in the NBA Finals four times with the Heat, the front office wants to see if his skill set is now redundant.

Opening night for the Heat comes on October 28, when the team hosts the Charlotte Hornets. Then comes a very tough game, as the team travels to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 30. By that time, the Miami Heat trade rumors about Mario Chalmers will have been settled, with the team likely having made a decision on whether to retain his services or part ways with the veteran. For now, though, he will remain on the active roster.

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