2010-2011 Possible roster
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 11:11 pm
Pat Riley knows he is in the driver’s seat for what has the potential to be the most wild NBA offseason ever. He will have more cap room than any other team in the league with only Michael Beasley ($4.9 Million) and Daquan Cook ($2.2 Million) under contract while there are team options for Mario Chalmers ($847,000) and James Jones ($4.6 million).
He also has one of the league’s top 5 players in Dwyane Wade who will return if Miami acquires the type of talent around him that will propel the team into contender status.
Miami also has other assets such as a mid first-round draft pick(18th overall) and three second-round picks.
Riley and Wade have to be ecstatic that Lebron James looks like he is going to hit the market as well, taking the focus off of Wade as the number one free agent available.
There has been talk that Wade and Lebron could unite, but this seems far fetched. Two alpha dog wing players that need the ball in their hands doesn’t sound ideal.
Miami also has the allure of great weather and South Beach. In summary Riley has immense cap room, a franchise player, four draft picks and an extremely desirable place to live in his deck of cards.
New York has the cap room to compete with Miami but doesn’t have the franchise player. Chicago has enough money to sign one marquee guy and the way everyone has been touting them lately, the talent to win a title if a Lebron were to join them.
This couldn’t be more false . Since when do Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Derrick Rose make up a championship caliber group or even an elite supporting cast. Rose is the only one of the group that deserves any sort of praise. Deng is an injury waiting to happen and Noah is a scrappy big, but will never be a star.
It’s been proven in this league you need either two elite stars (Think Kobe-Shaq or Jordan-Pippen) or three or four studs (Think Pierce-Garnett-Allen, Kobe-Gasol-Odom-Bynum, Duncan-Parker-Ginobli, Billups-Hamilton-Prince-Rasheed) to win it all.
Riley can take a number of different paths to the top of the mountain. Let’s take a look at the Miami Heat Dream Team for next year. There are a couple of rules. The scenario must be plausible and must fit within the salary cap guidelines.
1. Sign Dwyane Wade to a max contract ($16.5 million). He has made it public his desire is in Miami.
2. Sign Amare Stoudamire to a max contract (16.5 million). Let’s hope the Suns get swept by L.A.
3. Sign Joe Johnson to a 5-year $65 million deal ($13 million). He would sacrifice a few million dollars for multiple rings. Is it a sacrifice he would be willing to make?
4. Trade Beasley, Chalmers, Jones, Cook, and two first round picks (2010, 2011) to the Hornets for Emeka Okafor ($11.2 million) and Darren Collison ($1.2 million). Miami would be getting a solid, defensive minded big man in the middle and a future star at the point. New Orleans would be getting a potential star in Beasley, a young cheap backup point, and draft picks. They would then free up cap space by buying out Jones.
5. Sign Ray Allen (Unrestricted free agent) using the mid level exception.
6. Using bird rights Miami can re-sign their own guys like Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, and Joel Anthony.
7. With a championship caliber team in place it wouldn’t take much to lure a veteran point guard and swing man like Carlos Arroyo and Raja Bell respectively. Then the three second round picks would fill out the roster.
Your 2010 Miami heat would look like this:
Starters
PG – Collison – 1.2 million
SG – Wade - 16.5 million
SF – Johnson – 13 million
PF – Stoudemire – 16.5 million
C – Okafor – 11.2 million
Bench – Haslem (6-8 million), Allen (mid level exception – 5-6 million), Wright (3 million), Bell (Veteran minimum), Arroyo (Veteran minimum), Anthony (1.5 million), three second rounders.
A few assumptions have been made in tinkering this lineup. First, Stoudamire would have to leave Phoenix. The odds are slim if they make it to the finals. Second, the Hornets would have to agree to this trade, and it does make sense for both sides because Collison and Paul play the same position.
This squad has multiple playmakers, something Miami has lacked for a long time. They have the veteran leadership that has been through the playoff grind for years. They have the potential to be an elite offensive and defensive team with a young hungry coach in Erik Spoelstra at the helm.
There are a lot of various ways they can go this summer. There is an opportunity to bring more championships to Miami, cementing this franchise as one to be reckoned with for years to come.Let’s hope Pat makes some wise moves.
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He also has one of the league’s top 5 players in Dwyane Wade who will return if Miami acquires the type of talent around him that will propel the team into contender status.
Miami also has other assets such as a mid first-round draft pick(18th overall) and three second-round picks.
Riley and Wade have to be ecstatic that Lebron James looks like he is going to hit the market as well, taking the focus off of Wade as the number one free agent available.
There has been talk that Wade and Lebron could unite, but this seems far fetched. Two alpha dog wing players that need the ball in their hands doesn’t sound ideal.
Miami also has the allure of great weather and South Beach. In summary Riley has immense cap room, a franchise player, four draft picks and an extremely desirable place to live in his deck of cards.
New York has the cap room to compete with Miami but doesn’t have the franchise player. Chicago has enough money to sign one marquee guy and the way everyone has been touting them lately, the talent to win a title if a Lebron were to join them.
This couldn’t be more false . Since when do Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Derrick Rose make up a championship caliber group or even an elite supporting cast. Rose is the only one of the group that deserves any sort of praise. Deng is an injury waiting to happen and Noah is a scrappy big, but will never be a star.
It’s been proven in this league you need either two elite stars (Think Kobe-Shaq or Jordan-Pippen) or three or four studs (Think Pierce-Garnett-Allen, Kobe-Gasol-Odom-Bynum, Duncan-Parker-Ginobli, Billups-Hamilton-Prince-Rasheed) to win it all.
Riley can take a number of different paths to the top of the mountain. Let’s take a look at the Miami Heat Dream Team for next year. There are a couple of rules. The scenario must be plausible and must fit within the salary cap guidelines.
1. Sign Dwyane Wade to a max contract ($16.5 million). He has made it public his desire is in Miami.
2. Sign Amare Stoudamire to a max contract (16.5 million). Let’s hope the Suns get swept by L.A.
3. Sign Joe Johnson to a 5-year $65 million deal ($13 million). He would sacrifice a few million dollars for multiple rings. Is it a sacrifice he would be willing to make?
4. Trade Beasley, Chalmers, Jones, Cook, and two first round picks (2010, 2011) to the Hornets for Emeka Okafor ($11.2 million) and Darren Collison ($1.2 million). Miami would be getting a solid, defensive minded big man in the middle and a future star at the point. New Orleans would be getting a potential star in Beasley, a young cheap backup point, and draft picks. They would then free up cap space by buying out Jones.
5. Sign Ray Allen (Unrestricted free agent) using the mid level exception.
6. Using bird rights Miami can re-sign their own guys like Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, and Joel Anthony.
7. With a championship caliber team in place it wouldn’t take much to lure a veteran point guard and swing man like Carlos Arroyo and Raja Bell respectively. Then the three second round picks would fill out the roster.
Your 2010 Miami heat would look like this:
Starters
PG – Collison – 1.2 million
SG – Wade - 16.5 million
SF – Johnson – 13 million
PF – Stoudemire – 16.5 million
C – Okafor – 11.2 million
Bench – Haslem (6-8 million), Allen (mid level exception – 5-6 million), Wright (3 million), Bell (Veteran minimum), Arroyo (Veteran minimum), Anthony (1.5 million), three second rounders.
A few assumptions have been made in tinkering this lineup. First, Stoudamire would have to leave Phoenix. The odds are slim if they make it to the finals. Second, the Hornets would have to agree to this trade, and it does make sense for both sides because Collison and Paul play the same position.
This squad has multiple playmakers, something Miami has lacked for a long time. They have the veteran leadership that has been through the playoff grind for years. They have the potential to be an elite offensive and defensive team with a young hungry coach in Erik Spoelstra at the helm.
There are a lot of various ways they can go this summer. There is an opportunity to bring more championships to Miami, cementing this franchise as one to be reckoned with for years to come.Let’s hope Pat makes some wise moves.
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