Miami Heat: Pat Riley Exploring Point Guard Alternatives Beyond Arroyo, Chalmers

Four games in and already Miami Heat president Pat Riley is looking to improve his team by trying to trade for a point guard. The Miami Heat have been going mostly with Carlos Arroyo and Eddie House at the point as the duo have combined for 14.5 PPG through the Heat's first four games. 

According to ESPN's Ric Bucher, “Two different team executives said they expect the Heat to dangle $3 million and second-year PG Mario Chalmers to a lottery-bound team looking to shed the long-term contract of a mid-priced, spot-up shooting PG. Riley’s objective is to find another shooter to space the floor, a la BJ Armstrong or John Paxson in their Chicago days playing alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.” 

While Eddie House and Carlos Arroyo carried the offense, Mario Chalmers did not play in the Heat's first two games (at Boston and at Philadelphia) and played late in the games against Orlando and New Jersey because the team was up big. 

With Mike Miller out until January, the need to spread the floor for the Miami Thrice is greatly needed; the Heat have only scored 100-plus points once in their four games. 

A couple names that have come up are Toronto's Jarrett Jack and Cleveland's Daniel Gibson but acquiring both won't seem easy because those two franchises have given enough talent to Miami in recent months. Another possibility is Minnesota's Sebastian Telfair who plays behind their starter Johnny Flynn.

Yet if Miami can win games with the current core of players until Miller returns, then the chances of any movement diminish.