| As a sophomore during the 1995-96 NBA season, | | | | to make room for Howard. Now left with a |
| Juwan Howard posted superstar-like numbers for | | | | shallow roster of talents, Miami will be facing an |
| the Washington Bullets. The fifth pick in the 1994 | | | | uphill challenge to stay competitive and maintain its |
| NBA Rookie Draft was immediately courted by | | | | base of loyal fans in market rich Miami. |
| many teams as he was about to be a free agent | | | | If the Heat decides to slug it out in court, as |
| in the 1996-1997 season. | | | | would be expected if the matter reaches |
| Although publicly stating he wanted to stay with | | | | arbitration, the players union and the team |
| the Bullets, Howard and his agent, David Falk, | | | | owners would be coming into the picture as the |
| were not attracted to the team's seven years | | | | union was supporting Howard and the Heat was |
| $78 million offer. Howard felt that his market | | | | getting sympathy from some team owners. In |
| value was far more than that. Then Miami Heat | | | | that situation, a lock-out scenario could be |
| offered a 7-year/$98M contract. The Bullets | | | | inevitable and it's one scenario that the NBA - |
| pushed their offer to $89M, but stopped short of | | | | from Howard Stern down to the last man in a |
| matching the Heat's offer. | | | | team's staff - dreads. |
| On July 15, 1996, Howard signed a $101 million | | | | Give Concessions to Miami |
| contract with the Miami Heat. However, this | | | | The NBA can opt not to pursue sanctions against |
| contract was voided by the NBA citing that the | | | | the Heat as a concession. At the same time the |
| Heat exceeded its salary cap. On August 5, 1996 | | | | league should recognize the Heat's disadvantages- |
| Howard returned to the folds of the Bullets after | | | | if losing Howard is not enough, losing key players |
| signing a seven-year contract worth $105 million. | | | | just to make salary room for Howard has given a |
| The Heat went to court to challenge the NBA's | | | | serious dearth in team competitiveness. The |
| ruling. | | | | league should stay away from giving impressions |
| Assumptions | | | | that it favors certain teams. |
| The NBA indicated that the Heat violated its | | | | Coach Riley had suggested that the Bullets' first |
| salary cap and only used this as basis to void its | | | | round pick should have been given to the Heat. |
| contract with Howard. However, salary cap | | | | Giving Miami concessions would allow it to stay |
| violations come with strict penalties - $5 million | | | | competitive and maintain their fan base. |
| penalty to the team and a season long suspension | | | | The NBA decided that that Washington can keep |
| for Heat Coach Pat Riley. The NBA maintained | | | | the players it had signed up after renouncing |
| that the Heat already had an agreement with | | | | Howard - Tracy Murray and Lorenzo Williams, Rod |
| center Alonzo Mourning before signing Howard | | | | Strickland and Harvey Grant. These are high |
| and, that the bonuses of two other players were | | | | caliber players that Washington could not have |
| not counted against the cap when they should | | | | been able to sign up if their initial deal with Howard |
| have been. | | | | pushed through in the first place. Sure the Bullets |
| Vantage points | | | | forfeit their next year's first-round draft choice |
| 1. Impose the $5 million penalty against the Heat | | | | for the right to re-sign Howard still they got a |
| and season suspension for Coach Riley. | | | | huge concession in this case. |
| 2. Give concessions to Miami for it to stay | | | | The league can also require the Bullets to release |
| competitive in the league during the season. | | | | one or both of their free agent signings (Tracy |
| 3. Leave the case to courts to settle the matter. | | | | Murray and Lorenzo Williams) and pay the |
| Diagnosis | | | | difference between the final offer for any player |
| Impose Sanctions against the Heat | | | | cut and the deal they signed with the Bullets. |
| For the NBA to pursue its allegations of salary cap | | | | In the overall picture, Washington became a |
| violations against the Bullets it would have to seek | | | | powerful team by a stroke of circumstances. And |
| imposition of the $5 million penalty against the | | | | the Heat just had to start from scratch, again. |
| Team and a season long suspension of Coach Pat | | | | Leave the case to courts to settle the matter |
| Riley. | | | | The Heat had gone to Florida state court and was |
| The league maintained it had evidence that the | | | | granted a temporary injunction. According to the |
| Heat had an agreement with its center Alonzo | | | | Heat, the judge's order stated that Howard could |
| Mourning prior to signing Howard - a violation of | | | | not sign with another team, and that the league |
| salary cap rules. The league also maintained that | | | | could not approve Howard's contract with the |
| that the bonuses in the contracts of Tim | | | | Bullets, unless the contract recognized the prior |
| Hardaway and PJ Brown were not tallied the cap | | | | validity and superiority of Miami's contract. If the |
| by Miami, and that those bonuses should have | | | | Heat won the case it would have been disastrous |
| been included. These allegations, as expected, | | | | for the league as its powers to scrutinize and |
| were denied by the Heat camp. | | | | approve player contracts will be put to question. |
| Voiding Howard's contract with the Heat and | | | | Team owners can follow suit and bend the salary |
| imposing severe penalties on the team may have | | | | cap rules then bring the matter to court and have |
| been the right thing to do, but many things would | | | | a reference case to peg against. |
| have to be given consideration - the Heat can | | | | On the other hand, if the league wins the case |
| contest the matter in court and the league could | | | | and Miami gets sanctioned, the Heat would claim |
| face a backlash from Miami fans and other fans | | | | that David Stern succumbed to pressure by the |
| of the league who might view this action as too | | | | Bullets and, more importantly, by the players' |
| much on the part of the NBA. Remember, the | | | | union -an idea that would not sit well with a lot of |
| Heat took pains to prepare for drawing Howard | | | | team owners. |
| to Miami unloading several of its high value players | | | | |