Dwyane Wade Must Stay: What Do the Heat Need To Do To Make It Happen?

The biggest, most crucial, defining move the Miami Heat can make this summer will be to re-sign Dwyane Wade.

What will it take to actually get it done, though?

Miami needs to bring in some serious star power, be that in the form of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, or even Dirk Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, or Carlos Boozer. As far as offseason plans are concerned, one of these guys absolutely needs to come to South Florida.

But that starts with this season; it starts right now.

The Heat have been on a tear recently, going 12-3 in March, and are heading into the postseason playing exactly the type of basketball you want to see this time of year. How they fair in the playoffs will go a long way toward deciding the future of this franchise. 

It will be all the more likely that Miami is able to convince LeBron or Bosh to skip town and join up with the Heat if this team is able to turn some heads in April and June. 

If Miami's ragtag, bridge-season lineup is able to have postseason success, it'll say a lot about what Pat Riley will be able to put together when he actually has money to spend.

This is a team that went 15-67 two years ago, jumped to 43-39 last season, and is on pace to surpass that total this year—all with no cap space and very little in terms of trading chips. 

The Heat won't win a championship in 2010—take that thought out of your head now, if it's there. But if you're telling yourself they don't stand a chance against any of the big dogs in the East, you can remove that thought as well.

Miami is capable of beating Atlanta or Boston in a playoff matchup. That's not saying it will happen, but you can bet they have more than a good chance of doing so. 

That's the type of bonus this season has unexpectedly brought. 

The reality is that Miami has been waiting for 2010's free agency for over two years and hasn't even being trying to legitimately succeed in the playoffs.

Riley is ready to turn this franchise into a contender again, and he'll do everything he can to convince the marquee free agents that's exactly what will happen if they sign with the team. 

If the Heat flame out in the first round of the playoffs again, that will complicate matters. It won't make for a happy Dwyane Wade, and without him, the addition of a max-contract player becomes a moot point. It won't happen. 

If the Heat are able to get past Round One, put up a solid fight in the conference semi-finals, and maybe even do the unthinkable and win there, Wade will be thrilled. 

He'll sign on the dotted line with renewed confidence in the franchise and will make sure one of his All-Star buddies comes along for the ride in 2010-11. 

It all depends which Miami squad shows up in the postseason—the one that's been inconsistent for most of the year, or the one that's been bullying every team in its path recently.  

As we approach the end of the season and get ready for the playoffs, it has become increasingly clear that there's a lot more on the line for Miami than there appears to be at a quick glance.

How well they play could be the difference between a pairing of Wade and Bosh and having Michael Beasley as the best player on the team next season. 

So what does Miami need to do to convince Wade to stay with the Heat?

First things first; they need to win in the playoffs.