The Miami Heat Are Doing Well

The NBA: Where Quentin Richardson's destructive powers happen

In 2003, the Miami Heat asked their employees to take a 10-percent pay cut because of failing revenues.  When they say “asked”, I imagine they mean they posed their employees this question: ‘would you like to earn 10-percent less than you do now or find another employer?’  I would also imagine that question was answered with a resounding ‘F*ck you…we’ll take the pay cut.’

Even after politely taking money from their employees, the Heat were forced to cut 20 members of their their basketball operations staff in May.  They also have neglected to fill their vacant GM position since Randy Pfund resigned from the position before last season and are currently carrying two empty roster spots.  So with a bare-bones staff and roster, what avenues are left to save money and cut spending?  How about another round of pay-cuts? That’s something we can all enjoy.

That includes Miami’s basketball dictator, Pat Riley, and head coach Erik Spoelstra as well as assistant coaches, scouts and anyone else in the basketball operations department.  They’ll all be enjoying up to a 20-percent pay-cut in order to try to avoid lay-offs.  It was either this or cut hair-gel out of the budget, so it seemed to be an easy choice for Riley and Spoelstra.

Even with only 13 players under contract, 2 fewer than the maximum allowable, the Heat are $3-million over the luxury tax threshold and $12-million over the soft salary cap.  That number is expected to decline sharply as soon as Michael Beasley returns from his stint in rehab and a new contract without a Cristal per diem clause can be negotiated.  Still, there’s one person who will be shouldering much of the blame and scorn: Quentin Richardson.  And he thought he’d left his days of being scorned behind when he left New York.

The Heat took on an additional $700-thousand in the trade that brought Q to Miami.  While the pay-cut likely would have been needed anyway and the money saved should net the franchise more than $700-grand, Richardson will still likely be blamed for any negatives that come out of the deal.

When an assistant coach’s son asks why the family isn’t going to Disney World this year, he can simply answer, ‘because of Quentin Richardson.’  When a team scout’s wife asks why they suddenly can’t afford to put in a pool, he can reply, ‘because of Quentin Richardson.’  And when the fans demand to know why their team didn’t make the playoffs, the Heat can say, ‘because of Quentin Richardson.’

Tags: basketball, Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat, NBA, Pat Riley, Quentin Richardson

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