Report: Heat, Deng still 'significantly apart' on salary
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Now that LeBron James and his talents have gone home, the Miami Heat can forget about players taking a discount to move to South Beach.
The Heat have been considered front-runners to sign free agent small forward Luol Deng, but it appears he will not be coming cheap.
As of last night, Heat & Luol Deng still significantly apart on salary, sources say. Deng's been turning down $10M/year offers for months
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 13, 2014
Deng is looking for a contract worth roughly $12 million per season, according to USA Today's Sam Amick, keeping the Heat and Deng an arms-length away from each other.
The absence of LeBron not only means more money for Deng, it also likely lands him more playing time and a larger role if he joins the Heat. The Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, and Phoenix Suns remain rumored destinations for Deng if he chooses not to sign with the Heat.