Dion Waiters to Decline Contract Option with Heat, Test Free Agency

Dion Waiters' one season with the Miami Heat was a success, so he will test free agency this summer looking to capitalize on it. 

Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reported Waiters' decision to opt out of his deal with the Heat. 

Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald confirmed the news.

Waiters spent last summer looking for a team that would give him a chance to show off his scoring prowess. He signed a two-year, $5.9 million deal with the Heat in July that included a $3.028 million option for 2017-18, per Spotrac. 

At the time he agreed to the deal with Miami, Waiters offered a detailed explanation behind his decision on Instagram (h/t Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel): 

"I didn’t do it for the money… I did it for the opportunity to go out & ball & have fun. Everything else will take care of its self!!! I just felt like it was the best situation for me…& my family. I could have waited & got wat I wanted. But I rather be happy then miserable at the end of the day!!! Meaning Yu can have everything & still not be happy."

Waiters was limited to 46 games in his first season with the Heat, though he was effective when healthy. He ranked third on the team with 15.8 points per game, the second-best mark of his career, and shot a career-high 39.5 percent from three-point range. 

By today's NBA standards, Waiters' salary for next season was a bargain. He was going to be making less money than last year's No. 1 overall pick, Ben Simmons, who has yet to play in an NBA game due to injuries. 

Even as he found an opportunity to get more time in the spotlight with Miami, Waiters has a better chance to cash in and play a lot next season. It's a smart business decision and one that should end well for him in free agency.