Not including cap holds or Orlando Robinson and Larsson, the Heat has about $176.7 million committed to salaries for 10 players, including the $2.5 million in “unlikely to be earned incentives” that raise Herro’s cap number for this upcoming season to $31.5 million.

With the salary cap for the 2024-25 season set at $140.6 million and the luxury tax threshold set at $170.8 million, this means the Heat is already in luxury-tax territory.

With four or five roster spots still to fill for next season, the Heat is also on its way to crossing the punitive first apron that’s set at $178.1 million and not far from the dreaded second apron that’s set at $188.9 million.

In other words, the Heat’s salary cap situation limits who it can add and/or re-sign in free agency this summer, especially considering that Miami does not intend to pass the second apron because of the roster-building restrictions that come with it.

With the Heat entering free agency as a team on its way to surpassing the first apron, but expected to stay below the second apron, it currently only has the projected $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception and minimum contracts to offer outside free agents this offseason.

But using any part of the $5.2 taxpayer midlevel exception would hard cap the Heat at the second apron for the entire season.

The Heat can’t even acquire an outside free agent through a sign-and-trade because such a move hard caps a team at the first apron of $178.7 million — a line Miami will be over once it fills its roster.

While a trade may be the Heat’s only real path to make a significant addition to its roster this offseason, the new CBA will make it challenging for Miami to pull off a trade during the 2024-25 NBA calendar.

Among the trade restrictions the Heat faces as a team on track to be above the first apron: Miami can’t take back more money in a trade than it sends out, won’t be allowed to use a preexisting trade exception and can’t acquire a player through a sign-and-trade. But the Heat will still be able to aggregate salaries in a trade.

For those hoping that Donovan Mitchell won’t sign an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers and instead force a trade to the Heat, Cavaliers president Koby Altman continued to express confidence on Monday that Mitchell will make a long-term commitment to Cleveland.

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