San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat - Game 7

Pat Riley plans to keep his two-time championship team in tact and the upcoming luxury tax hasn’t scared him into using the amnesty clause.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

Heat President Pat Riley said Friday that the team does not currently plan to use its one-time amnesty option as a way of lightening its looming tax load, with the team’s focus instead being on simply finding ways to get better.

“Right now, we’re not using amnesty, no,” Riley said.

Amnesty would allow the Heat to essentially cut one player and pay whatever is left on his contract, but without that salary counting against the team’s cap space or add to future luxury-tax bills. Miami is currently in line to pay more than $30 million in tax for the coming season, though could shave off at least one-quarter of that by parting with someone like Joel Anthony or Mike Miller.

Hoopsworld