Miami Heat President Pat Riley said Monday a contract agreement with Shaquille O'Neal appears imminent.
"After a week of talking, it's closer," he said. "We're getting closer every day."
Getting a new agreement with O'Neal is the key to the Heat's plans for the free-agent signing period, scheduled to begin July 22.
"We've had a lot of conversations with all of our free agents and a lot of other people," Riley said. "But, obviously, this week we've focused on Shaquille."
Once O'Neal's contract is agreed upon, the Heat will have a better measure of where they stand against the luxury tax, the dollar-for-dollar payment to the league for excessive payrolls.
With O'Neal expected to take a cut from the $30 million he otherwise would have earned this coming season, the Heat then will have a better feel for offers to incumbent free agents Udonis Haslem and Damon Jones.
"Shaq is like a house of cards," Riley said. "Once we get that done, everything else will fall into place."
Riley said the team also appears close to an agreement with Haslem and will talk to Jones' representation this week.