So what’s next for the Miami Heat and the NBA? Here’s what:

Q. Why the wait until Dec. 9 to open training camps and start free agency?

A. While the prime financial issues have been resolved in a new collective-bargaining agreement, there are many secondary issues that still must be resolved, such as the league’s substance-abuse policies, the minimum draft age, how the Development League will be utilized, etc. Plus owners and players must vote to ratify the agreement, which is considered a given.

Q. What happens on Dec. 9?

A. Assuming the agreement is ratified, the Heat will open training camp at AmericanAirlines Arena, a process that typical is closed to the public. That also will be when the Heat can approach free agents with contract offers.

Q. What are the most significant unresolved issues for the Heat?

A. Foremost is the status of point guard Mario Chalmers, who is a restricted free agent. The only point guard whose rights currently belong to the Heat is first-round pick Norris Cole. The Heat also need to address their situation at center, a position where offensively limited Joel Anthony and neophyte Dexter Pittman are the only players under contract.

Q. What about the regular-season schedule?

A. The schedule issued in July will serve as a rough outline, but will have to be redrawn to balance home games and road games. Commissioner David Stern all but confirmed Saturday that the Heat will open their 2011-12 regular season at 2:30 p.m. on Christmas Day in Dallas. (The Heat had been scheduled to open Nov. 2 at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.)

Q. With only 33 home games in the revised schedule instead of the typical 41, what about season-ticket payments made in advance?

A. The Heat already had a refund policy in place, with ticket-holders allowed to otherwise bank unused funds in their accounts for future purchases. Individual-game sales had yet to commence.

Q. How does the agreement work for the Heat?

A. Any agreement that allows the Heat to retain LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, as this one does, has to stand as a victory for owner Micky Arison, who assembled the cast that delivered the Heat within two victories of the 2011 NBA title. In the long run, however, the increases in those contracts could cause the team to reconsider such a top-heavy salary mix.

Q. Could this deal eventually force the Heat to divest themselves of one of the Big 3?

A. The new agreement continues to maintain “Bird Rights,” meaning the Heat, without regard to the salary cap or luxury tax, will have the right to re-sign any player currently under contract when their deal expires, which for James, Wade and Bosh could be as early as the 2014 offseason.

Q. What players currently are under contract to the Heat?

A. James, Wade, Bosh, Anthony, Pittman, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and Eddie House. The Heat also have the rights to match any outside offers to Chalmers, a restricted free agent, as well as the exclusive draft rights to Cole. Free agents from the 2010-11 season-ending roster are Mike Bibby, Erick Dampier, Juwan Howard, James Jones and Jamaal Magloire. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas announced his retirement in the offseason, but the Heat retain his rights.

Q. How does the “amnesty” clause impact the roster?

A. The Heat will be allowed to remove the salary-cap and luxury-tax hits of one player by paying off his contract in full and releasing him. With a severe luxury tax in the new agreement, it is possible such a decision is made with Miller, who has four seasons left on his contract, with a $5.4 million salary for 2011-12.

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