The Miami Heat have confirmed Erik Spoelstra signed a contract extension in the offseason.

Spoelstra became head coach of the Heat in 08-09.

"I would like to thank the Arisons and Pat for their continued confidence in me and my staff and [I am] humbled in their trust in me as head coach," Spoelstra said Friday in a statement released by the Heat.

"It has been an incredible 22 years being part of the Miami Heat family and we will look to continue our goal of winning NBA championships."

Josh McRoberts is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left foot.

"I wish I had something philosophical, a good quote to say to help other people through tough times," McRoberts said before sitting out Tuesday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AmericanAirlines Arena. "But I think that's part of it. You just keep it in perspective. It could be a whole lot worse. It's an injury and I'll be back. It's never a good thing. It's always frustrating, always disappointing, but you try to stay as strong as you can and get through it, keep things in perspective."

McRoberts has had a cycle of injuries since joining the Miami Heat in 2014. McRoberts arrived in 2014 dealing with a toe issue and was lost for the balance of that 2014-15 season on Dec. 10 with a torn meniscus in his right knee. Last season he missed 26 games at midseason due to a bruised right knee. This season, he missed all of training camp and the start of the season as the result of a broken foot sustained during last season's playoffs.

"I feel for Josh, right now," Erik Spoelstra said. "He wants to be out there and he was starting to get into a great rhythm. We'll use all of our resources to come with the solution for him."

Goran Dragic is out of Tuesday's game due to back spasms.

It is Dragic's third injury absence of the season. He missed three games in early November with a sprained left ankle, then two later that month with a strained left elbow.

"There's not a breaking point," Erik Spoelstra said. "You're capable of handling whatever you need to handle. In this league, anything that comes at you is an opportunity to grow as a team."

Josh Richardson will start at point guard with Dragic out.

Goran Dragic is open to a trade from the Miami Heat as they appear to be rebuilding after losing Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Dragic is having another strong season and trading him now would allow the Heat to recoup some of the cost they expended in acquiring him from the Phoenix Suns in 2015 when they dealt two future first round picks.

Dragic is 30 and is on a reasonable contract.

Teams that have sought discussions with the Heat on Dragic have found them to be open to offers.

The Sacramento Kings and Heat held talks centered on Dragic earlier in the season.

Hassan Whiteside voiced frustration with his lack of touches in Miami's 136-130 overtime loss against the Magic.

He was asked afterward if he felt like he was getting the ball enough in late moments.

"They say I'm the franchise player. I would think I should get more, but I don't know, man," said Whiteside, who is in the first year of a $98 million, four-year deal with the Heat. "I don't think so, to be honest. But coach's gonna coach."

Whiteside played 47 minutes and took 22 shots, both team-highs in the game. 

The NBA's new labor deal will create an independent medical panel to settle life-and-death cases.

When a player is declared medically "unfit" to play, his case can be referred to the panel by his team, by the league or by the players association.

If the panel determines the player has a life-threatening condition, they can bar him from resuming his playing career. Conversely, if the panel determines the player can play then the team must allow him to, trade him or waive him within a set period of time.

The panel's decisions will be final and binding on all parties.

Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat are currently in a stalemate that would benefit from the existence of such a panel. Because his condition predates the new labor deal, Bosh will be exempt from the new protocols. But Bosh can initiate the process and could even do before it takes effect on July 1st.

Hassan Whiteside has clarified his comments about DeAndre Jordan.

"He catches lobs. I shoot jumpers, catch lobs and block shots. I do a lot. He just catches lobs," said Whiteside about Jordan on Thursday.

Whiteside stressed Friday his point was that with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick alongside, Jordan had more leeway to focus on his All-NBA-level shot-blocking and rebounding.

"Definitely misconstrued," Whiteside said in front of his locker. "First, I would never diss another big fella. I'm all for the big guys in the game. I was just saying on the offensive end, our roles are different. Obviously, he's a top-three rebounder and one of the best defensive players in the game. I didn't think I had to explain that, but I see I do. Quote me on that."

Whiteside acknowledged that he also was able to focus primarily on lob offense when he had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as teammates.

Justise Winslow has now been out for 16 straight games due to a sore left wrist.

The Miami Heat believe a month of healing, rehabbing and restrengthening is better than surgery.

“I think right now all of our hopes are that he won’t need it,” Erik Spoelstra replied when asked if Winslow may need surgery at the end of the season. “That's why we went through extensive treatment and rest. And right now it looks like we won't need to go that route.

“It's actually gotten significantly better. It was a sprain. He continued to play with it, continued to reaggravate it and then we shut him down we started the process of healing it and then rehabbing it and then re-strengthening it. He’s getting better. He’s doing more court work each day. I would say probably now is when you're starting to say he’s probably getting pretty close to full contact work on the court." 

Winslow still hasn't participated in a full 5-on-5 practice and has been wearing a brace for several weeks.

“That's just to stabilize it,” Spoelstra said. “Anybody that’s had wrist issues, you have to wear a brace when you’re not active. And it helps. Any little bit helps. [For Winslow] that’s more precautionary. He doesn't necessarily need it. It’s already starting to feel a lot better.”

Chris Bosh has the mindset of being more likely to attempt a comeback before the 17-18 season than return at some point this season, according to a source within the league connected to Bosh.

Bosh failed his physical with the Miami Heat in September and Pat Riley subsequently said his career with the franchise is likely over.

The Heat will attempt to remove Bosh from their salary cap though that will require him to be medically forced into retirement. An independent doctor will rule on Bosh's medical condition.

Bosh has two additional seasons remaining on his contract with the Heat that he signed in 2014 as a free agent.

Hassan Whiteside signed a four-year maximum contract with the Miami Heat worth approximately $98 million.

“Portland was my second option,” Whiteside said at the team’s Saturday shootaround in Portland. “I would have came here.”