Report: Heat still intent on dealing Chalmers despite Napier, Dragic trades

Tap here to view theScore's NBA Offseason Tracker, which includes the latest transactions and rumors.

The Miami Heat aren't finished trading away surplus guards in a desperate attempt to reduce their burgeoning luxury tax bill.

Despite dumping Shabazz Napier and Zoran Dragic over the past 24 hours, the Heat are still intent on shredding point guard Mario Chalmers' contract, ESPN's Marc Stein reports.

Rumors of Miami's willingness to part with Chalmers' $4.3 million contract date back to early July.

The issue with Chalmers isn't necessarily tied to his production as he earns a reasonable contract for what he provides. Chalmers can be maddeningly inconsistent, but he's still a strong backup point guard. Last season, Chalmers averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 29.8 minutes.

Rather, parting with Chalmers' deal would cut the Heat's luxury bill in half. It'll rob them of a reliable backup, but Goran Dragic should soak up the majority of point guard minutes anyway.

Trading Dragic and Napier brought the Heat to within $8 million of the luxury tax. Losing Chalmers (and center Chris Andersen) would spell the Heat from having to pay the harsh repeater's tax.

At 29-years-old and on an expiring deal, Chalmers represents a decent add for a contender short on ball-handling. The trick, however, will be to find a trade partner with cap room (or a traded player exception) that can relieve the need for Miami to take money back in the deal. For that, the Heat might need to cough up a first-round pick or another asset.