Miami Heat News: Recapping the Latest Headlines for the Defending NBA Champs

For the 2012 NBA champion Miami Heat, this offseason has been one of celebration and triumph.

The team foiled the Boston Celtics' plan to bring back the original Big Three for one final run by signing shooting guard Ray Allen in free agency, and superstar LeBron James emerged as Team USA's crunch-time leader in the London Olympics.

It's also been an offseason pleasantly devoid of any off-court distractions or big-time news, outside of the Allen signing.

But with just two months remaining before the start of the regular season and the roster mostly set, it's time to start focusing in on the news actually pertaining to basketball.

And in what usually is a dormant time for NBA news, there has been plenty of that in recent days for the Heat.

Here's a look at the most notable stories.

Dwyane Wade Returns to the Court

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee in July, star Dwyane Wade took to Twitter to announce his return to the court on Tuesday.

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Whew..first day on the court since my surgery..oh and that look on my face was b4 the workout started..haa

— Dwyane Wade (@DwyaneWade) August 29, 2012"

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Sorry..Here's the pic... lockerz.com/s/239299612

— Dwyane Wade (@DwyaneWade) August 29, 2012"

Wade's return undoubtedly comes as a relief to Heat fans, as his recovery seems squarely on schedule with the usual 6-8 week time frame usually associated with that surgery.

It's little secret that the Dwyane Wade we saw during last season's NBA championship run was nowhere near 100 percent. He lacked the explosion, speed and confidence of the star we've become accustomed to, undoubtedly caused by the bothersome knee.

If Wade stays on schedule, 2012-13 could see the return of Dwyane Wade instead of the secondary piece (relatively speaking) we saw during last season's playoffs.

Game 5 Hero Mike Miller Back in the Gym, Wants to Play Another Season

Like Wade, small forward Mike Miller, who drained seven threes in Miami's series-clinching victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, announced his return to the gym on his Twitter account.

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Gr8week being back in the gym FINALLY Way 2long of a layoff slowlybutsurely feelN better Feels good getting ready 4 another year #LETITFLY

— Mike Miller (@m33m) August 24, 2012"

 

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That comes as a good sign for Miller, whose injuries were so debilitating that many thought he'd retire, but leaves the Heat in a precarious situation.

New signee Ray Allen and incumbent Shane Battier are both similar players on the roster that, simply put, are better at this point. With the Heat firmly planted in the NBA's luxury tax for next season, it seems logical that the team would do everything in its power to get out from under Miller's $6.2 million price tag.

But with the amnesty deadline already passed, it seems clear that the small forward will simply be a form of sunken cost sitting on Miami's bench next season.

Rockets Waive Center Sean Williams, Miami Interested?

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Houston Rockets made their release of the veteran center official Wednesday and the Heat could be interested in Williams' services.

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Heat have expressed interest in Sean Williams in the past and are bound to consider him again since they're known to be in market for bigs

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 29, 2012"

The former first-round pick is still just 25 years old, but has struggled to catch on in each of the past two NBA seasons, playing just 11 total games. As a team in the market for a strong, shot-blocking big man, the Heat could be the perfect last shot for Williams' NBA dreams. He wouldn't be expected to do much, if anything, offensively and can protect the rim for Miami's second unit.

At the very least, a training camp invite shouldn't be out of the question.