Which way does this go down?

"Could Tyler Johnson blow up the Heat's salary cap?" -- Ira Winderman

"Can you explain how Tyler Johnson could get more than $10 million from another team when you said he couldn’t get more than $5.6 million from the Heat for next season? -- Alex.

A: This is one of those rare cases in the NBA where an outside team can blow away an incumbent team because of a player being a restricted free agent who also is covered by the Gilbert Arenas Provision. Without delving too deeply into the particulars (of which there are many), what it means is that Johnson's starting salary for 2016-17 basically would be fixed at about $5.6 million. But an outside team could build a huge package on the back end of such a contract -- the rare case in the NBA where a quantum leap in a pay raise is allowed -- that would allow for an average salary in excess of $10 million per season for Tyler. That's why you have been hearing talk of a potential four-year deal for Tyler in excess of $40 million. The 2016-17 and 2017-18 salaries in a Johnson contract would be relatively limited, but the back end could create consternation if an offer sheet is presented that is structured in such a heavy-handed manner, as was the case when the Rockets lured Jeremy Lin away from the Knicks. So what you've been reading about is something along the lines of a poison-pill contract, with the type of starting number that I have been projecting all along for the Heat's 2016-17 payroll. So, yes, to offer an abbreviated answer, Tyler Johnson very well could wind up with a deal that averages $10 million, provided he receives an offer sheet from an outside team.

Then: "Nets offer sheet to Tyler Johnson: $5,628,000 + $5,881,260 + $18,858,765 + $19,631,975 = $50,000,000 total."

Quotes:

“He started out making you watch him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Then he made you want to invest time in him. Then he made you play him. He’s an irresistible force.”

and

“I thought I was making a lot of great strides at the beginning of the season and I’m trying to improve on those things as far as ball handling and finishing at the basket,” he said of his offseason goals. “My biggest strides are going to be mentally and getting my body right. The mental aspect is continuing to transition to that point guard role so that I can play both and be available for both.”

Plus: