Ever since re-signing with the Miami Heat on a four-year deal in the summer of 2017, Dion has dealt with a lot from injuries to his inconsistent attitude and questionable decisions. His latest bad choice led to him being shelved by the organization and cost him a major bonus.
On Sunday, the Heat announced that Waiters has been suspended for 10 games for what the team cited conduct detrimental to the team.
This comes 72 hours after the reserve guard was treated for a medical emergency that began on the Heat’s chartered flight last Thursday night from Phoenix, AZ to Los Angeles, CA, where a source told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski, and Tim Reynolds of “The Associated Press” that Waiters consumed a THC-infused edible (gummy), that allegedly came from a teammate, that led him to having a “panic attack” so serious that he required medical attention once the plane landed in L.A. following the Heat’s 124-108 win at the Phoenix Suns (6-4) earlier that. NBA rules exclude its players from using THC, a main compound contained in cannabis.
Waiters was sidelined against the Suns because of a stomachache and was seeking relief when he ate an edible unfamiliar to him, according to a source.
This is the second time already this season the Heat (7-3) have suspended the former Syracuse guard, who had not played in the team’s first nine games for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Waiters suspended him for the season opener, 120-101 win versus the Memphis Grizzlies (3-7) on Oct. 23 following a series of incidents during the preseason and a few conflicts with head coach Erik Spoelstra about his role, which he lost because of the stellar starts to this season by rookie guards Kendrick Nunn and this summer’s First-Round draft choice Tyler Herro.
Waiters had only been on the active list for only two of the Heat’s previous nine contest so far but has yet to be in uniform and sit on the sidelines for a game.
“We are very disappointed in Dion’s actions this season that include the very scary situation on Thursday night, and grateful that the outcome wasn’t worse,” the Heat said in a statement on Sunday.
“There have been a number of instances this season in which Dion has engaged in conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, he will be suspended without pay for 10 games, including the Lakers game last Friday, and will be eligible to return after the Golden State Warriors game on Nov. 29.
“We are proud of how our players have started the season. We expect all of our players, including Dion, to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards, and show professionalism and respect for their teammates, the team, the fans and the NBA community.”
Waiters suspension began with the Heat’s (7-3) contest, a 95-80 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers (8-2) last Friday night, and this 10-game suspension will likely cost him at least $834, 483 in salary. The earliest that Waiters could return to the Heat lineup would be Dec. 1 when they play at the Brooklyn Nets (4-6).
That scenario seems highly unlikely to occur and Waiters future with the organization is very much in doubt presently.
This was not the case a few years ago when Waiters who entered the 2015-16 season with the Heat, where despite playing just 43 games averaged 15.8 points, connection on a career-best 39.5 percent from three-point range.
He is best remembered for his game-winning triple as the Heat defeated the eventual back-to-back NBA champion Golden State Warriors 105-102 on Jan. 23, 2017-part of the Heat’s 30-11 conclusion to that season following an 11-30 beginning.
That earned Waiters, a new four-year, $47.3 million deal, plus nearly $5 million more in possible bonuses for playing a certain number of games.
Waiters, whose averaged 14.0 points in his first three seasons with the Heat unfortunately has not come close to earning that $5 million bonus because of injuries to his ankles, which led to surgery on both his ankle and foot have shelved him 36 and 52 games the prior two seasons. He would need to play in 70 of the Heat’s remaining 73 contests to garner the extra $1.2 million of that $5 million bonus this season. When the fourth game of this 10-game suspension occurs, Waiters will officially lose out on that bonus this season and as far as him being on the trading block, Waiters is owed $25 million over this season and the 2020-21 campaign as part of that four-year deal he signed as mentioned two summers back.
“I would be stunned if we ever see Dion Waiters back on a court again, you know, in Miami,” ESPN’s Front Office Insider Bobby Marks said recently on ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst’s podcast “Brian Windhorst And the Hoop Collective.”
“I would really be surprised just by-we always talk about culture down there right, as far as with the Heat culture there. So, I guess kind of give your distance to him as far as him being a part of this group here.”
That said the Heat, even though they have gotten off to a solid start this season are not good enough to tell Waiters to hit the highway and he is not that great of an asset for a team to take a chance on him without giving up assets of your own to sweeten any kind of deal to go along with the aforementioned $25 million left on Waiters contract. Also, that bonus that will go by the wayside for Waiters will still
The other reality is that this famed Heat culture of “zero tolerance” for any foolishness is a work in progress. It is why forward James Johnson was suspended for not completing for not coming into shape, to where he was not even allowed into the practice facility during his suspension.
“They are showing that we have ‘zero tolerance’ for the chicanery that’s happen over the last couple of years because Pat Riley [Heat President] said at the end of last year, ‘that’s done,’” ESPN’s NBA studio analyst Amin Elhassan said on “NBA: The Jump” on Monday. “Us giving up what defines us is over.”
As bad of a situation is this right now for Waiters, it can also be a blessing in the skies because this suspension can refocus him on what he needs to do individually to get back into the good graces of the Heat.
The reality is that Waiters has not shown on a consistent basis that he can be counted on except for a 28-game spurt where he really shined to be a major contributor. Nunn and Herro came into camp this year ready to play and Waiters grew sour from that.
“Maybe that’s exactly what he needs. A break to recalibrate his mind and win over his teammates again,” ESPN NBA studio analyst Chiney Ogwumike said.
If he can fall in line and play well from now until the Feb. 2020 trade deadline, the Heat can trade him a lot easier because they tried to trade him back earlier this year and there were no takers even before this latest incident.
Three summers back, Dion Waiters came to South Florida in need of a serious reshaping of his image both on the hardwood and off of it. He seemed to turn that corner and earned a nice new contract from the Heat of fours years at $47.3 million, which included a $5 million bonus. Continued leg injuries and his inability to make better decisions has landed him back in limbo.
If this reality check does not change him for the better, what will? Forget about the fact that he will lose close to $835,000 during this 10-game suspension and a $1.2 million bonus for this season but he showed that he is not supportive of the likes of two young players in Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn who worked their tails off, Nunn especially not being drafted and having to prove himself in the G-League to even have a shot to play in the NBA.
It’s one thing to not be happy that you are not getting a chance to be on the hardwood, but to be that ill towards guys who bring it and know how to conduct themselves both on and off the floor is a bad reflection on who you are as a teammate and person.
Waiters will have the next few weeks to get it together and show he can be better and if he does not, his NBA career could be over just like that.
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 11/10/19 www.nba.com story, “Heat Guard Dion Waiters Suspended 10 Games, “ by Tim Reynolds “The Associated Press;” www.espn.com story, “Heat Suspend Dion Waiters 10 Games After Incident;” 11/11/19 3 p.m. “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Amin Elhassen and Chiney Ogwumike; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/6628/dion-waiters; https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/waitedi01.html; and https://www.espn.com/nba/standings.
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