Cohen 8-Ball: Best Model for Magic?
Cohen’s Analysis: It’s poignant in many ways that exactly a decade before the Heat’s rewarding financial spending in 2010, it was the Magic who nearly accomplished the same thing. In 2000, Orlando’s salary cap space led to the acquisitions of Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill and nearly the sequestering of Tim Duncan from San Antonio. Miami took advantage of the NBA’s fiscal system, liberating a plethora of salary cap space to unite LeBron James and Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade. The salary cap is still set at $58 million, suggesting it’s feasible for franchises to land three max free agents in the same summer if they get far enough under the cap.
