Maybe all of this isn't so bad...

[BlaZeN27]

We have at least 4 teams trying to trade for the #2 overall pick, so in essence its become a bidding war. Each of the four teams have something unique to offer us, future cap space (Take Blount/Banks), young prospects (Mike Conley, Corey Brewer, Chris Wilcox), top draft picks in which we can draft a player Riley covets (#3,#4,#5, and #7), and with the Clippers you have a proven all-star in Elton Brand. With the right combination of those, we can come away with a very nice deal. Now there have been some pretty abysmal trade rumors as far as Heat fans are concerned, but there is still 2 days left until the draft. Trade offers get better and better as the draft gets closer, so we have 4 teams that are going to try and outbid the other 3 to win the Beasley sweepstakes. I've definitely been one of the Beasley supports who has prayed that we just take him, but if we are for sure going to trade him, isn't this the best case scenario? What ever deal we make (If we make one), should end up being a very very attractive one. I think we all need to take a deep breath and put some faith into Riley (including myself). He's proven that he can rebuild the Miami Heat on several occasion, even if he did make the ridiculous Ricky Davis deal (Which he made out of desperation, something he should not feel now, he's pretty much in the drivers seat).

[CB4MiamiHeat]

If we trade, why does it have to be with these teams right below us? (Minnesota, Memphis, Seattle)..they have nothing. The 3,4,5 picks are nice but the other part of the deals are a bunch of average players like Lowry, Brewer, Wilcox.....ughh

Im not open to trading, but if we have to its for someone like Brand or someone else shopping an All-Star.

[BlaZeN27]

Or maybe Chris Wallace over compensates trying to make up for the Gasol deal and gets caught up in bidding with the other 3 teams and ends up making a great deal for us.


Mike Miller, Mike Conley, #5 for Marc Blount, Daquan Cook, #2

That fills the PG spot, SF spot, and C spot all in one trade. We could even turn around and trade Marion and the #5 for Brand still, and just keep Miller and Conley.

[miamiballer]

blazen, i like the way you think

this makes sense IMO given rumors that sea will take brook lopez at 4, if they stand pat...i call their bluff if im riley, leaving bayless at 5..and we all know how much LAC wants bayless

trade 1: miller, lowry, 5 for blount, cook, 2 (srry just dont see mem trading conley, but they are welcomed to)
trade 2: marion, bayless for brand

[Iputsomepantson]

trade 1: miller, lowry, 5 for blount, cook, 2 (srry just dont see mem trading conley, but they are welcomed to)
trade 2: marion, bayless for brand

So wait, we trade the #2 pick, Marion, Cook, and Blount for Mike Miller, Lowry, and Elton Brand.

Why should we do this exactly?

We would have a squad of Lowry, Wade, Miller, Haslem, Brand as our starting rotation IF brand can play at center and little if any cap space. Plus that squad more than likely couldn't beat the Pistons next year, let alone the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic.

It would be a team DOOMED to mediocrity. Too good to get a lotto pick, but too bad to have a shot at winning a championship or even the Eastern Conference.

We must draft Beasley/Rose and use Marion and Haslem to get us solid talent to surround our two stars. It might not get done this offseason, but come the trade deadline, there will be teams inquiring big time into the availability of Marion and Haslem. These are two talents that a desperate teams like Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Utah, Denver, perhaps even New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, LA, Detroit, or any surprise contending team may over bid on.

The possibilities are endless with trade scenarios for Haslem and Marion, we just have to be patient. We shouldn't be desperate to win a championship next year like we were this year when we made the Ricky Davis trade. Hopefully Riley lets things play out.

[HEATVols865]

Why do we want Mike Miller again?
His bad contract?
Because he's a regular rotation player, that starts in a bad team and makes way too much?
His ugly hair?

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Why do we want Mike Miller again?
His bad contract?
Because he's a regular rotation player, that starts in a bad team and makes way too much?
His ugly hair?

I'd guess the fact that he shoots over 50% on a team where he rarely gets an open look. Now imagine that shooter on a team with a player that routinely draws double and triple teams.

[SJ2100]

To address some of the above concerns:

Why do we want Mike Miller again?
His bad contract?
Because he's a regular rotation player, that starts in a bad team and makes way too much?
His ugly hair?

We want Mike Miller because he can shoot the lights out. Wade needs to be surrounded by shooters, and right now we don't have one person that can make the defense pay. Period. Besides that, Miller can also handle the ball extremely well, and at 6'8" has the size to defend small forwards around the league. His contract is also not as bad as your making it out to be, he expires in 2010 and he makes around $8M, which is around value for a guy with his skills, IMO

So wait, we trade the #2 pick, Marion, Cook, and Blount for Mike Miller, Lowry, and Elton Brand.

Why should we do this exactly?

If we were to make the trade with MEM and then move back again with LAC, we would be in much better shape than your making it out to be. Especially if we get Conley and/or LAC's pick. For me, the biggest reason why this wouldn't work is I don't see Mayo being available at #5, so LAC would pull Brand off the table. However, depending on the variation of the deal, we could also look like this (best case scenario):

Conley, Wade, Miller, Brand, Zo with a bench of Banks, Wright, Haslem, Bayless or Lopez (#7)

Not to mention we would still be able to use the MLE and the LLE to bolster that roster, plus veterans who want to sign with us for a chance to compete. Now, we likely will not end up with the best case scenario, so you could possibly remove the #7 from the above squad as one variation. You also could possibly remove Conley and replace him with Lowry. But, if you do that, I doubt the Memphis deal gets done. This is just to say that, depending on the offer, making two separate deals with MEM and LAC could net us a whole bunch of talent.

[Det the Threat]

this makes sense IMO given rumors that sea will take brook lopez at 4, if they stand pat...i call their bluff if im riley, leaving bayless at 5..and we all know how much LAC wants bayless

Honestly, you shouldn't give a damn about any rumors involving the Sonics. All of those experts have shown duringe the last couple of weeks that they know nothing about Sam Presti's plans. So no matter what anyone states, as long as we don't make the pick no one knows who the hell's on top of our list(us Sonics fans as well) and what kind of trades the Sonics are interested in.

[Iputsomepantson]

If we were to make the trade with MEM and then move back again with LAC, we would be in much better shape than your making it out to be. Especially if we get Conley and/or LAC's pick.

You didn't mention that in your trade idea though.

For me, the biggest reason why this wouldn't work is I don't see Mayo being available at #5, so LAC would pull Brand off the table.

Brand wants out, the Clippers don't really have much of a choice but to trade him and no team is going to trade for him if he doesn't want to play there. Why should we help the Clippers out with a draft pick and Marion for Brand when we can get him for cheap.

However, depending on the variation of the deal, we could also look like this (best case scenario):
Conley, Wade, Miller, Brand, Zo with a bench of Banks, Wright, Haslem, Bayless or Lopez (#7) Not to mention we would still be able to use the MLE and the LLE to bolster that roster

I just don't like that squad and that's your best case scenario. The squad is good, but not great as I said. C'mon, do you really think that squad has a chance against the squads I listed before? (Celtics, Cavs, Magic, Pistons). That squad would have all the pressure of winning now even though it's not talented enough to do it and that type of pressure is unfair to put on a rookie coach. We should just focus on getting our team back into the playoffs this year and restore the atmosphere of hard-nosed defense with a goal to do what it takes to win games. That atmosphere has been sorely lacking since we won the championship.


I think the team can be better off with Beasley. All we need to do is surround Beasley and Wade with consistent role players and we can get those players by trading Haslem and Marion.

Brand is good, but he's just not worth over-trading for, Conley is unproven, and Miller is not a starting player on a championship team. 6th man perhaps, but not starter.

[CoolD]

I am starting to think. We might have misread Riley and the Heat.

He probably wants Bayless.

He propping up Mayo, so he goes ahead of Bayless.

Today we worked out both Mayo and Bayless. I think Riley is going to draft Beasley, if Mayo goes third to Minessota, like he probably expects, his back up plan is to go after Bayless. If Minny takes someone else, he might go after Mayo anyhow. But if not, his backup plan is Bayless.

If the draft goes Rose one, Beasley two, Mayo three, I think we might trade with a team later on, Beasley, Blount for Bayless and some other asset.

I wouldn't be suprised if we end up with Bayless.