Fix South Beach's Boys, the Miami Heat

The Fixing of the Miami Heat started before the trade deadline. 

It was a quite evening in the valley of the sun.  The playoffs well in reach when the phone rang.  

Steve Kerr Answered Pat's call.  Yes Pat?  Marion for who?  You have to be kidding!  Where's Ashton Kutcher?  Am I being punked?  All I have to do is what?  I hate Marcus Banks, you can have him too.  Is Shaq healthy?  He ran how many miles yesterday?  OK, I am sold.  Sign me up.   

And that one phone call changed the course of history for the Miami Heat.  They went from being a slow, half court offense team into a fast, high flying fun team.  Now what can they do to fix this team? 

At the time of this trade, the Heat thought Shawn Marion would opt out of his deal and become a free agent leaving them almost $17 million to play with this off season, but that does not look like it is going to happen.

So with that in mind, let's start the fixing. 

First, they are going to have a very high draft pick.  Pat Riley is already making trips and scouting the top guys.  He doesn't need to go see Michael Beasley.  He knows where Mike stands, at the top.  Michael will be in Miami uniform come October if Pat has any say about it.

Beasley would be the four.  Wade and Marion would be the two and three, respectively.  That leaves the Heat trying to move Udonis Haslem.  Right? 

Wrong. This is the East, and Haslem can play center in the undersized conference.  They can try to work something for Mark Blount.  He could help a team out west play center and extend the floor by making perimeter shots. 

The Heat should try and move Marion, though.  If they have a taker, get that salary off the books.  He is solid, but we see that him and Wade just aren't enough.  So they should put themselves in position to where they can get enough.    

Salary Problems: Wade ($14.4 million), center Mark Blount ($7.3 million), forward Udonis Haslem ($6.5 million) and guards Smush Parker ($2.4 million, he will be moved or cut), Marcus Banks ($4.2 million) and Daequan Cook ($1.2 million). Forward Dorell Wright ($2.9 million, likely will be re-signed).

That chews up $38.9 million of a salary cap that likely will not rise much above $55.6 million. Add Marion's salary, and that's $54.3 million committed to seven players.  The key here is to move one of these players for a draft pick.  Udonis and Marion are the only two worth it.  What if they moved Marion to the Clippers for Corey Maggette and their draft pick?

Marion would work great in Los Angeles.  The Heat would field Udonis, Beasley, Maggette, Wade, and Banks.  That would be before they even dipped into the free agent market with the money they had to spend.  You could move a stud point guard in there.  They could also get Elton Brand to not opt out, or in a sign and trade.  The options are unlimited with what Miami can do. 

The bottom line is that fixing the Heat starts with Shawn Marion.  With him staying, the Heat can only sign their own free agents.  So that would mean Jason Williams is coming back to south beach.   The Miami Heat will get used to playing a new style of basketball next year.  After a summer of learning it too.  Add the best rookie since LeBron, and you have something to get Dwyane excited about.  

Keeping Wade in Miami is huge, so lets get excited and lets change this ship around.   If anyone can right this ship it is Pat Reilly.  I would be scared to see who he will call next.  I know that every GM in the country is just as scared.  That is why Big Pat uses *67. 

Let's hear it for the 08-09 Eastern Conference Champions, THE MIAMI HEAT!