The Miami Heat announced Tuesday that Mike Miller has been waived using the amnesty provision in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. The decision ends an injury plagued but undeniably successful return stint in the Sunshine State for the former Florida Gator and Orlando Magic star, a three-year trip that saw him play a reduced role on teams led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh but prove pivotal in a pair of NBA title runs. Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post first reported the move would come Tuesday afternoon, in advance of the NBA's 11:59 p.m. ET July 16 deadline for teams to use the amnesty provision to shed one contract from their balance sheets. And it did, despite team president Pat Riley's public statement three days earlier that the Heat were not planning to use the amnesty; a subsequent consultation with team owner Micky Arison clearly changed matters. "This was a very difficult decision for me personally, the Arison family, [coach] Erik [Spoelstra] and the entire Miami Heat organization," Riley said in a team statement . "Mike was one of the best we have ever had here, and will be sorely missed. We wish Mike, his wife Jennifer and their family nothing but the best." After the announcement, Miller shared gratitude for his time in South Florida: I want thank the Heat organization, my teammates and the fans for an amazing run #TrulyBlessed — Mike Miller (@m33m) July 16, 2013 That Miami zapped Miller's contract isn't much of a shock — the 33-year-old shooter's been discussed as a potential amnesty candidate since before the new CBA was even finalized, with stories about his house going on the market serving as grist for the rumor mill . As was the case when the Los Angeles Lakers recently used the amnesty to jettison Metta World Peace, the key motivation behind the Heat waiving Miller is shrinking the luxury-tax tab the team will owe the NBA next summer.
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