Miami Heat Trade Deadline 2012: Latest Buzz from South Beach
No team is more desperate for an NBA title than the Miami Heat, and South Beach's super team will do anything during the NBA trade deadline to make bringing home an NBA championship a reality.
The bad thing is the Heat are limited in cap space and assets to land a really important player.
No way is Miami unloading LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and other valuable pieces like Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier are playing well off the bench.
But the rumors still swirl as to whom the Heat are after before today's afternoon deadline.
Here's all the latest buzz and how it affects the team.
Heat's Bench Wants Deadline to Pass
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Miami's bench wants the deadline to pass for mental relief.
Players like Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier could all be trading pieces, though all three of them are quite content to remain with the Heat. Expect them to stay.
Coach Doesn't Know About Any Trades
You would think Erik Spoelstra would know what's going on in the Heat's front office.
You guessed wrong, as Spolestra told the Miami Herald before Wednesday's 106-102 loss to the Chicago Bulls that he didn't know about any looming trades.
"“I am on the phone with Pat (Riley), but our focus is on this group,” Spoelstra said. “We feel we have enough. Andy (Elisburg) and Pat and Nick (Arison) will always look for opportunities to make our team better, but we made a big splash two summers ago.”
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Chris Kaman Not Coming to Miami
The Heat have been trying to persuade the New Orleans Hornets that they are a good bidder for center Chris Kaman, whose contract will expire after the season ends. Kaman is drawing interest from the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers.
But the Heat don't have any good pieces to give New Orleans a fair value for Kaman. They could give up Norris Cole/Mario Chalmers and a first-round draft pick, but the Hornets would probably want more.
Other teams like the Rockets and Pacers have more talent to give up for Kaman.
CBSSports.com opines that the Hornets might desire to extend Kaman's contract.
Heat Might Wait to Pick Up Waived Players
If teams are not able to trade away unwanted talent, they might be forced to waive them.
Miami last year grabbed Mike Bibby off waivers, and they might do something like that this year.
