Report: James Ennis agrees to push back guarantee date on contract

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James Ennis has bought the Miami Heat some additional time to try to trim their luxury tax bill, agreeing to postpone the guarantee date on his contract.

Ennis, whose deal originally called for the Heat to make a decision on his full salary for 2015-16 by Aug. 1, has worked out a plan to postpone the team's decision until the day before the regular season begins, according to Ira Winderman from the Sun Sentinel.

The Heat have 14 players under contract, only 11 of who have fully guaranteed deals. Teams are only required to have 13 roster charges on their books, so the Heat could maintain some flexibility by moving forward without one of them. Ennis' $845,059 salary is hardly cumbersome, but with the Heat over the luxury tax line, the real cost of keeping him is appreciably higher.

Miami will now have more time to try to wiggle beneath the tax line. After dealing Shabazz Napier and Zoran Dragic, the Heat waived Henry Walker and reportedly continue to shop Mario Chalmers. Though it's unlikely they can cut the requisite $7.3 million from their books to get below the tax - and avoiding the more limiting repeater tax for 2016-17 and future seasons - it's a worthwhile endeavor at the bottom of the roster.

The No. 50 pick in the 2013 draft, Ennis spent a year in Australia before debuting in 2014-15, averaging five points and 2.8 rebounds in 62 games for the Heat. The up-and-down season barely saw him crack 40 percent shooting, but he flashed enough potential to warrant another season to develop.