Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh Have Arrived: Pat Riley Must Surround Them With Talent
Within the span of a few minutes, the Miami Heat have become Eastern Conference champion contenders due to the re-signing of Dwyane Wade and the acquisition of All-Star power forward Chris Bosh. A dynamic duo of the slashing, driving Wade and the post skills of Bosh will be a force to reckon with for the next six years for not only the Eastern Conference, but also the NBA.
Not only are Wade and Bosh signing with the Heat, but they are also taking paycut's which allows Pat Riley and the rest of the organization more space when it comes to signing free agents that the Heat are in need of because of the fact that they will only have four players under contract when Wade and Bosh sign. Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley are the other two and have both been used as trade bait lately.
The pairing of Wade and Bosh is a godsend for the Heat considering that this is exactly what Dwyane was asking for when he demanded Riley bring in players that can help him lead the team to a second title run. Bosh is the big man that Wade has been pining for since Shaquille O'Neal was traded nearly three years ago. Not to mention, the two are already very good friends, have played together on a few All-Star teams, and even won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
This duo is still not enough to secure a championship and with nearly $15-$20 million to spend depending on the paycut's take, the Heat have plenty more signings and moves to make following the July 8th signing day. Only a few players have made committment's and with plenty of free agents now lining up for a chance to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, it's these players that will fit in well with the Heat's system in no particular order:
Target No. 1: Brendan Haywood
None of the Heat's current three centers are signed at the moment. This means Jermaine O'Neal, Joel Anthony, and Jamaal Maggloire are all free to go or to possibly be re-signed. The Heat haven't made too many moves with any of them aside from offering Anthony a qualifying offer. The free agent class for centers isn't too strong with players such as Brad Miller and Shaquille O'Neal as the cream of the crop, but Brendan Haywood would have the most to offer.
While Miller and O'Neal are both up there in years, 34 and 38 respectively, Haywood is 30 years old and is a strong presence in the middle which the Heat haven't had in awhile. His offensive production is nothing special averaging eight points for his career and his career high being 11 in the 2007-'08 season, but his rebounding is somewhat worth noting and in his limited time has averaged six rebounds per game with his career high being nine last season in dual enrollment with Dallas and Washington.
The Heat drafted two centers in Dexter Pittman and Jarvis Varnardo, but the two will need veteran leadership if the Heat part ways with O'Neal and Maggloire. Haywood would complement the center position very well and his offense would not be needed too much with Bosh and Wade already in the lineup.
Target No. 2: Kyle Korver
If the Heat have needed someone, it is a three-point shooter. Their savior in Daequon Cook fizzled after his three-point shooting contest victory and has been traded, but this free agency class has much to offer when it comes to three-point shooting. The idea of getting Ray Allen would be nice if it was a few years ago, but at 34 and most likely a high demand for money, the Heat could find some more suitable options.
Enter Kyle Korver. Korver is a free agent after spending three years with the Utah Jazz and has proven himself to be a fantastic three-point shooter. He has averaged at least one three-pointer in each game and is a career 41 percent shooter from beyond the arc. He averaged nearly three per game in only his second season in the league. The Heat and Korver have shown mutual interest with a number of trade rumors and signing's circling.
The Heat also have the chance to grab Mike Miller or Roger Mason as possible options for a stable three-point shooter, but Korver fits the bill very well and probably won't command too large a salary. He was making $5 million last season compared to Miller who was at an absurd $9.8 million.
Target No. 3: Raymond Felton
The Miami Heat are also in desperate need of a point guard. Mario Chalmers isn't future All-Star material and Carlos Arroyo is more of a stable back-up than a starter. With Steve Blake off the market, the Heat should try and go after the 26 year-old Charlotte Bobcat Raymond Felton.
Felton has made huge strides since joining the league in 2005 as the fifth pick of the draft and has never averaged less than 11.9 points per game. More importantly for the Heat though is that he averages over six assists per game which would skyrocket if he is paired with offensive specialists Wade and Bosh.
If the Heat cannot secure Felton, then they can still look at other point guard's on the board such as Luke Ridnour and Jordan Farmar. The point guard free agent class is thin, but Felton, Ridnour, and Farmar are easily the most coveted with the Heat in great need of a stable point guard.
Rumours are circling that Jason Williams will make a return and even though at 34 he is still a quality point guard, it will only last for two or three years before we see him depart for another retirement.
Target No. 4: Re-sign Udonis Haslem
If you're not a Miami Heat fan, then you don't know enough about Udonis Haslem to really know what type of player he is. The man is a warrior and should be considered as one of the top defenders in the league for his outstanding play on opposing players. He has been with the Heat since being signed as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2003 season and has been Wade's go to guy since then.
Udonis was fantastic last year as the sixth man and averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game while being a lock down defender. He has become a fan favorite and is easily affordable to the Heat's current budget. He has also stated that he would take a paycut if necessary, but to be honest this guy deserves no paycut.
It's going to be interesting to see how the Heat handle the power forward situation now with a depth chart of Bosh, Beasley, and Haslem. Perhaps they have the idea of sliding Beasley down to the third spot as a small forward or maybe working out a trade that could bring in one of the desired players the Heat are looking to surround Wade and Bosh with. Either way, something must be done because in no way are Udonis Haslem or Michael Beasley third string players.
Target No. 5: Matt Barnes
Obviously, the Heat can't get by with one three-point specialist if they do actually sign Korver. If Miami was looking for another affordable three-point threat, then Matt Barnes would be the correct choice. Matt has never spent more than two seasons with one team, but he has provided an impact to each team, the threat of a strong three-point shooter. Two seasons ago, he averaged a career high 10 points per game while a member of the Phoenix Suns.
He is a 33 percent three-point shooter, but he would be a great option off the bench and would be sure fire when the Heat are in need to get back into games by way of three's, but hopefully they won't need to comeback from too many games with their new acquisitions.
Barnes only made $1.6 million last year and it obviously shows that he will not command too much money from the Heat if he signs. He might actually find a permanent home if he's willing to join the team.
The Heat obviously have many holes to fill with only four people on it's roster, but these five would fit with the team very well now that the essentials have joined forces and Miami now shows that they are ready for another championship run.
As for LeBron James as a possible target, it would be wonderful to see a big three like that, but James commands so much money that the Heat would have nothing to spend on bench players and would have to go after aging veterans or sub-par players. It's going to take more than three players to win a championship, even if it is LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
It is riveting to see Pat Riley follow through with his plans of securing Dwyane Wade and getting him his big man in Chris Bosh, but now he must do what he couldn't do in 2006 when he signed Shaquille O'Neal: Look out for the long term. Riley failed to deliver on a long-term dynasty, but he has the chance to redeem himself if he can surround Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with quality talent.
