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Free Agency
Things don’t look much better for the Heat in terms of this summer’s free agency strategy. The team is strapped for cash and have some key decisions to make this offseason internally but are more concerned with summer 2010 as is the rest of the NBA.
The great bidding war/spending spree of the 2010 offseason that will see such free agents as Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, basketball-god-king-as-crowned-by-the-NBA-marketing-department LeBron James and, possibly, Dwyane Wade. There have been rumblings recently from Pat Riley that the Heat won’t make any major free agent moves until the team has locked up Wade to a contract extension.
“Heat president Pat Riley won't authorize any drastic roster changes until he has Dwyane Wade's signature on a contract extension.
Riley, speaking at length Thursday about the team's offseason plans, said he has prepared the proposal he will forward to Wade and his agent one minute after midnight July 12, the earliest Wade can sign an extension.”
Source: MiamiHerald.com June 18, 2009
Wade’s response?
“A day after President Pat Riley said Miami could not initiate a major roster overhaul this summer without knowing Wade's long-term fate with the team, Wade countered with the opposite point, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. Wade thinks an aggressive personnel approach by the team this summer could persuade him to ink a contract extension.”
Source: ESPN.com June 20, 2009
In other words, Wade is telling Riley, scratch my back and I’ll sign on the dotted line.
There have already been unsubstantiated rumors that the Heat are interested in dealing for Toronto Raptors F Chris Bosh, which have been repudiated by Bosh personally.
Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not, but the point is that at least someone out there realizes that if Wade doesn’t receive help, the team will sink back to a 15-win team as they watch their best player walk away.
And, trust me, he’s considering it. One of the possible landing spots is home sweet home in Chicago. Read this interview and tell me he hasn’t at least given it some thought.
As for retaining their own free agents, center Jermaine O’Neal has exercised his player option to remain with the team, his wages being $23 million for the 2009-10 season. They have yet to make a decision on restricted free agents C Joel Anthony and F Jamario Moon and unrestricted free agent C Jamaal Magloire.
I feel the team will find a way to keep all three even with its limited cap space. Moon really seemed to invigorate the team when he was healthy, and Magloire is a solid defensive presence at center. Besides, the Heat won’t do much better in free agency.
The bottom line is they’re saving their pennies for the big fish coming next year. Now all they have to do is convince the big fish they currently have from jumping ship.
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