"When free agency opens at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, the Heat won't be in the running for high-profile players such as Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace.

Miami already has an estimated $70 million payroll for 2009-10, which exceeds the projected salary cap of $58 million, and is right at the projected luxury tax.

So instead of going shopping, the Heat will hope to improve by getting more out of forward Dorell Wright and center Jermaine O'Neal, who were slowed by injury last season.

Wright, 23, played only six games last season, his fifth with the Heat. Coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday that getting a good season from him would be "almost like getting a free agent player. He didn't play with us last year and he's been working every single day and had a very productive year for us two years ago."

O'Neal missed only three regular-season games after being acquired in mid-February, but he often was limited by injuries. And he played only one minute in the last two playoff games.

"Jermaine O'Neal has been in the gym every day the last two weeks working on his body and making sure his legs are 100 percent healthy," Spoelstra said.

Heat president Pat Riley isn't sweating the free agent situation. He knows that although the Heat doesn't have cash, it has valuable expiring contracts in O'Neal ($23 million), forward Udonis Haslem ($7.1 million) and center Mark Blount ($7.9 million).

Miami also has a little value among its free agents - centers Jamaal Magloire and Joel Anthony, guard Luther Head and forward Jamario Moon. Miami could sign one or more of them to a multi-year contract and then trade them.

"We've got sign-and-trades," Riley said. "We've got free agents that are coming up."

Around the NBA, Detroit, Memphis and Oklahoma City are the teams far under the salary cap, but the Grizzlies and Thunder are believed to be focused on the Class of 2010, which could include Cleveland's LeBron James, Miami's Dwyane Wade, Phoenix's Steve Nash and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki. That means Detroit might be the league's biggest spender."