A: The difference is that when the Heat took a flier on Dion Waiters in the 2016 offseason, it came at the cost of a mere $2.9 million for that season. Now, a team would have to pay off the balance of this season's $12.1 million salary, as well as the $12.7 million that Dion is due next season. And there simply is not any amount of confidence restoration that Dion could possibly produce between now and the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline to make such a gambit feasible. The only way Dion gets dealt would be for another team's similarly problematic money. And the rub is that if Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic or Kendrick Nunn miss any matter of significant time with their current injuries, the Heat could (gasp) actually need Dion. As has been the case with all things Dion since the beginning of his freefall into drama, if he is dealt, it likely would be more about putting his salary into play than his abilities.