OT: Could Eddy Curry have success with the Heat? If...

[campybatman]

OK, I thought this would be Riley's last season head coaching Miami? How would he get an opportunity to work with Curry (speaking hypothetically) from the front office?

This line of thinking makes sense but could you convince New York to trade Curry within the conference and for what offer do you make if you're Miami. I mean we're talking about Eddy Curry here, but New York does want to move him if they can before the trade deadline. A trade could be advantageous for Curry. He has three years remaining with the last two being both a player's option for him. Say that he shines next season with the Heat drawing lesser pressure with Wade and whomever (Elton Brand can opt out after this season) having the spotlight. He can opt out after next season and hopefully to the delight of he and agent command more than his current salary for his last two years ($10.5M and $11.2M) of the contract. Wishful thinking on his part if he sees it this way as I do. Still, you never know, he's a near seven-foot center who's only twenty-five. What other young big man this year is readily available for a likely low asking price? None. There's always the centers in Seattle: Swift, Sene and Petro. And that's assuming if one or two of them is available for the right deal.

But if you tell me Riley is building a team around Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion, I tell you that you don't know Riley and you don't know NBA history. Pat "Small Ball" Riley? I don't think so.

Here is Riley's history: He made his reputation coaching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Los Angeles. He sat out a year and then went to the Knicks to coach Patrick Ewing. He didn't even get his first Miami suntan before he traded for Alonzo Mourning. Then he swooped in and traded Lamar Odom, among others, for O'Neal.

Riley needs a big post-up presence. He doesn't really see the game otherwise, and the truth is, rarely has a team succeeded without one. The Suns' trade for O'Neal shows they believe it too.

So what about Eddy Curry?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs ... 107.column

[Jammer]

Miami owes Minnesota a First Round Pick & Second Round Pick from the Ricky Davis/Mark Blount trade.

That said, I think Miami might be able to pry the 3 remaining years on Eddie Curry's luxury tax contract ($31.5 million times two) for:

Jason Williams (expiring contract)
Philadelphia's 2009 2nd Round Pick
Indiana's 2009 2nd Round Pick

Riley can make some notoriously cheap offers (he once offered Jay Leno a swap of cars once, on Leno's show, that was so ridiculously unfair that Leno was incredulous). Anyway, Riley might try to offer, instead,

Ricky Davis (expiring contract)
Smush Parker
and the same two second round picks,

but since that trade costs more than the first this year and next (Smush's salary would be doubled with the luxury tax), if I'm New York, I don't think that they can get $4.5 million cash in a deal, so I think that New York would insist on the version with Jason Williams expiring.

This would be smart for New York, if they paid attention to dollars and cents (they don't, Cablevision is rich); that they would save twice Eddy Curry's salary since they are into the lux tax ($63 million over 3 years).

Miami can afford to take a chance on Curry, and pair him with Wade and Marion (with Mark Blount and Ricky Davis off the bench), and then sign a Free Agent Point Guard this summer.

[Illuminati]

LMFAO! Are you serious about the Jay Leno tidbit?

[SuperDeluxe]

Why would Miami want yet another zero-rebounding center? They already have Mark Blount to fill that role, don't they?. (Unless, of course, Blount is what New York wants in exchange for Curry.)

[Rocky5000]

Why would Miami want yet another zero-rebounding center? They already have Mark Blount to fill that role, don't they?. (Unless, of course, Blount is what New York wants in exchange for Curry.)

Ahahah. When it looks like NY couldn't get any worse, they'll trade for Mark Blount.