With Lamar Odom Off The Table, Do The Miami Heat Focus On Carlos Boozer?

With Lamar Odom off the table, do the Miami Heat now refocus on Carlos Boozer?

Perhaps the biggest news in the NBA this past week was the report that Lamar Odom re-signed with the champion Los Angeles Lakers.

This, of course, means he is no longer an option for the Miami Heat. Rumours surfaced last week that the Heat didn't only want Odom, but Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz too.

Heat fans salivated over the potential of gaining these two stars. Many projected this would make them a contender in the East, and it was hard to argue with them.

Odom, being a free agent rather than a trade piece such as Boozer, seemed like an easier option. Dwyane Wade, the Heat's main man publicly stated his desire for Odom to join the team, so management focused on Odom first.

But now, with him no longer an option, will the Heat start up talks with the Jazz in the interest of gaining Boozer again?

Lets look at it from some different viewpoints if a trade were to go down:

From the Heat's view

Disadvantages

Let's get these out the way first. The obvious disadvantage is that the Heat will have to give players up to gain Boozer.

When rumours of the trade first started coming up. it seemed that the Jazz wanted Udonis Haslem, and some kind of combination of either Daequan Cook, Dorell Wright or Micheal Beasley.

I don't think the Heat want to be moving Beasley, he's only been there a year and has a lot of potential just yet.

The Heat would probably have reservations about trading Haslem too, seeing as he is popular with Wade and a big piece on the championship team (and basically the only remnant other than Wade from that team), though they would be more on board with trading him with Beasley as age slows him.

Advantages

If the Shaq-years showed anything, its that Wade fits very well with a scoring big man. Not that I am comparing Boozer to Shaq, but when he's healthy, he's going to be putting up great numbers. He's strong, he can rebound, he can hit the midrange jumper.

Wade gets on well with Boozer, having played with him on the Olympic squad, and their games fit well.

Also, with a two-punch like that, it will take much more pressure not off just Wade himself, but also Beasley, Mario Chalmers and the rest of the team. If Wright or Cook are left behind, teams will often double team and leave them open on the three-point line.

Jermaine O'Neal is not even considered a shell of his former self, but can still play defence and be a big body in the lane. Him and Boozer would compliment eachother nicely.

He would be a great addition to the Heat, and would help to keep Wade happy (which is one of managements key objectives, probably THE key objective) and would definitely help them to contend in the East.

From the Jazz's view

Disadvantages

The Jazz will be moving Boozer at some point. They have committed to Millsap now, and the other 29 teams know that. So they will struggle to get anything in return that is equal to Boozer's full worth. Teams know that the Jazz are on the ropes, and they won't let up easily.

Advantages

With Boozer gone the Jazz can move on with their commitment to Millsap. If they were to receive Haslem, they would get a hard-working, great rebounding forward with a lot of experience and an NBA ring. He can fill the back up role at the Power Forward back up position that Millsap filled last year.

With Wright or Cook, they get atheltic small forward who can run and gun. If they somehow managed to get Beasley as well, they would get a lot of potential who could really benefit from Sloan and this team.

From Boozer's view

Carlos Boozer is not Kobe Bryant (or Devean George). He wouldn't be able to veto any trade, but how much would he like to be in Miami?

The big man has cited Miami as one of his favourite destinations (who can blame him after Salt Lake City). He would get all the benefits of South Beach and would be joining a team that appears to be on the rise.

He has been incredibly lucky on his last two teams, playing with Lebron James and Deron Williams. His luck would be even more prominent if he were able to play with Dwyane Wade too.

I don't think Utah will find much more for Boozer than in a deal with Miami. Boozer would be happy and Miami would improve, I fully expect this deal to go down at some point and would be in full support of it if it did.

Boozer will be moving at some point, and though they may not get that starting lineup of Chalmers, Wade, Odom, Boozer and O'Neal, a lineup of Chalmers, Wade, Beasley, Boozer and O'Neal is absolutely nothing to be sniffed at.