NBA Free Agency: Miami Heat Sign Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas

On a day the sporting world lost its most infamous owner, George Steinbrenner, the Miami Heat are paying the former big-spending Yankee boss homage by forming a professional superpower of their own.

After re-signing Dwyane Wade and luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh via free agency, the Heat are scrambling to fill out the rest of their roster.

And Zydrunas Ilgauskas wants in.

Ilgauskas will reportedly join the Heat for the veteran minimum, according to the Miami Herald, which is a crucial step for Miami. They now have an inside presence to contend with Dwight Howard, as well as the Andrew Bynums and Pau Gasols of the league.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better.

With Ilgauskas and a shooting threat like Mike Miller, the Heat are well on their way to taking over the NBA world, if they hadn’t already.

While he averaged under eight points per game last season, Ilgauskas averaged just over 20 minutes in 64 games. The 35-year-old Lithuanian center will hardly be the No. 1 guy in the post.

Dexter Pittman, a center acquired in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft from Texas, is expected to sign and contribute if he can slim down a bit.

Also drafted in the second round was forward Jarvis Varnado from Mississippi State. The most prolific shot-blocker in the draft (4.7 blocks per game as a senior), Varnado averaged around 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs, making him a great value pick at No. 41 overall.

Da’Sean Butler from West Virginia will also have a chance to contribute. Butler is coming off a torn ACL in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and would have likely been a first-round selection had he not been injured.

Add Udonis Haslem and a couple of role-players, and you have a formidable, perennial championship contender in South Beach.

Perhaps this is just what the NBA needs. After all, parity is only good in small doses. A Goliath ripe for the slaying is never a bad thing.

Right now, it's the Lakers. Before them, it was the Celtics. Before that, the Spurs. And the Heat are the NBA's next Goliath.

And why not? Steinbrenner did it. And ESPN, among dozens of other media outlets, has been praising his accomplishments all day long.

Steinbrenner wanted to win above all else. So does James. So does Bosh. So do Wade and Pat Riley.

Apparently, after signing for the veteran minimum, so does Ilgauskas.

A dynasty is being born.