"Let Go of Boozer/Brand Notion" - Here's Why

[HeatSince88]

Josh Smith is the most overrated guy ever!
He'd be a cancer!
I live in ATL and I've heard the local announcers on TV and Nique saying: JSmoove actually hussled tonight! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Good, I hope they let the "cancer" go then ...

Like Golden State did with Tim Hardaway, Dallas did with Mashburn, Clippers did with Odom, and the Lakers did with Shaq.

A 23-year-old who will probably put up 20ppg/9rpg/4apg/3blks for 8-10 years and fits perfectly skill-wise next to Beasley? He could actually HAVE cancer and I'd still be interested.

My bad - J-Smoove is only 22 and will be putting up 20/9/4/3 for 8-10 years.

[BlaZeN27]

How about we go after Meka right now? There's been talks that he doesn't want to stay with the Bobcats, and the Bobcats don't want to pay him. Why not offer up a deal surrounding Marion to get this guy? Ask any Bobcat fan, he has NO PROBLEM playing center, he just can't guard the quicker PF's. He's a great shot blocker/rebounder an is one of the best post defenders in the league. This guy is perfect next to Beasley and Wade. We arent going anywhere unless we have someone to protect the paint. Don't forget, Meka can also score, he just wasn't given the ball too much in Charlotte.

[pramis123]

To fit with Beasley, we will need a Center who's strength is defense to make up for Beasley. He will have to be a shot blocker, a good passer, and a good rebounder who's scoring will come around the basket with put backs and such. Obviously, this is easier to find that a center who is a scorer who requires double teams.

[CaliHeat]

Yea I really think Emeka would be great for this team. He is still young, can play off Wade and Beasley very well.

They Heat could then go after a guy like Josh Childress or someone in that type of mold

[CRHeel94]

Emeka would be an ideal complement to Wade and Beasley. He gives you presence on defense and the boards. I like the line of thinking expressed in the original post. There are some interesting options that could come available in the next year.

[BFRESH44]

Yea, I see all them 2004 Draft class guy getting signed to extensions before it's all said this Free Agency period. Very unlikley that their respective teams allow it to get to the point where they have to sign Qualifying offer tenders.

Guys like Josh Smith, Iggy, Deng, are Okafor are pretty pipe barring some ridiculous trade.

[CaliHeat]

Looking over Andris Biendris numbers, I cant help but think this guys is perfect for this team especially playing next to Beasley. He is only 22 years old and was putting up some impressive numbers last year.
I dont know how we would get him because the Warriors said they are willing to match any offer for either Biendris or Monte Ellis.

[Hoops23]

With Beasley now, I think Miami should go for a center with their cap space in the future. Bosh in 2010 is the ideal addition. Bosh-Beasley-Wade trio is an awesome combinations.

I'm for the Heat bypassing the 2009 cap space in favor of the free agent rich 2010 off-season. Miami needs to use their MLE this season to stay competitive. And I doubt there is a good free agent out there to agree on a 1 year deal. Sign someone that fills a need position for two years deal. Sign Dorell also for a two year deal.

[HeatSince88]

With Beasley now, I think Miami should go for a center with their cap space in the future. Bosh in 2010 is the ideal addition. Bosh-Beasley-Wade trio is an awesome combinations.

I'm for the Heat bypassing the 2009 cap space in favor of the free agent rich 2010 off-season. Miami needs to use their MLE this season to stay competitive. And I doubt there is a good free agent out there to agree on a 1 year deal. Sign someone that fills a need position for two years deal. Sign Dorell also for a two year deal.

So are we gonna ask D-Wade to put up with 2 more seasons of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker types so we have a 10% chance at Bosh in 2010 -- when EVERYONE will have cap space and chase he and Lebron?

Or should we just grab a young impact FA after this season if available?

I say it's obvious you try the latter. Then if all 12 options somehow fail next offseason, you have no choice but to do the former.

But to PLAN ON on passing up guys like Josh Smith (if available) saying "No thanks, we'll live with Kwame Brown and James Jones another year, go nowhere of course yet again, piss off Wade and Beasley, and roll the dice on a 10% chance at Bosh in 2010 rather than 100% of Josh Smith right now" would be very presumptuous and mistaken.

I say you take the great FA when you can get him. Waiting another year is a pointless roll of the dice. We need Wade to win again ASAP, not a 10% chance at doing so in the 2011 playoffs.

[SA37]

With Beasley now, I think Miami should go for a center with their cap space in the future. Bosh in 2010 is the ideal addition. Bosh-Beasley-Wade trio is an awesome combinations.

I'm for the Heat bypassing the 2009 cap space in favor of the free agent rich 2010 off-season. Miami needs to use their MLE this season to stay competitive. And I doubt there is a good free agent out there to agree on a 1 year deal. Sign someone that fills a need position for two years deal. Sign Dorell also for a two year deal.

So are we gonna ask D-Wade to put up with 2 more seasons of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker types so we have a 10% chance at Bosh in 2010 -- when EVERYONE will have cap space and chase he and Lebron?

Or should we just grab a young impact FA after this season if available?

I say it's obvious you try the latter. Then if all 12 options somehow fail next offseason, you have no choice but to do the former.

But to PLAN ON on passing up guys like Josh Smith (if available) saying "No thanks, we'll live with Kwame Brown and James Jones another year, go nowhere of course yet again, piss off Wade and Beasley, and roll the dice on a 10% chance at Bosh in 2010 rather than 100% of Josh Smith right now" would be very presumptuous and mistaken.

I say you take the great FA when you can get him. Waiting another year is a pointless roll of the dice. We need Wade to win again ASAP, not a 10% chance at doing so in the 2011 playoffs.

To be honest, I am not enamored with many of the RFA that could become FA in '09. Don't get me wrong, most of them are good players and I wouldn't mind having them here at all, but I don't think any of them are incredible, especially when you consider the asking price of some of these guys.

I mean, Josh Smith for a max deal possibly? Emeka Okafor for $10-12 million a season? Luol Deng reportedly turned down a 5-year, $50 million extension from Chicago. Biedrins for $10-12 million?

I'd say no to each one of them for that price.

The thing is, we need to see where Michael Beasley is headed. Beasley has the potential to be a star. I, for one, think he's going to be a combination of David West and Carmelo Anthony. If he does, we can afford to a take a couple of less expensive players, as we'd have two big-time stars in Wade and Beasley.

But if he ends up more closely resembling a Glenn Robinson or a Jalen Rose -- I am talking in their primes -- then you probably need another guy who can come in and be a star.

Some guys are good players, but aren't cut out to be stars or handle big-time responsibility. Look at Rasheed Wallace. He has always been considered one of the most talented power forwards in the game, but he just never made that translate on to the court.

I like the 2010 plan because it gives us flexibility to see how our roster grows in the next 2 years and will gives us some insight into what we've gotten with Beasley. From there I think we can really make a much more educated decision, in terms of what players we augment the roster with.

Of course, there is an outside chance we get an opportunity to acquire a guy who we just can't pass on, but I highly doubt that guy is coming our way.

[CoolD]

Of that list. Okafor first.

Iquodala second.


And am not to excited about Smith. he is not like a legitimate SF, he is like a tweener, with kind bad shot selection. And just don't see him as a winner at the highest level type of player.

[BlaZeN27]

I agree with CoolD.

If we could find a way to swap Marion for Emeka, we would be legit contenders at some point soon. I hate to say it but I hope contract discussions go south and we can try and get him before the season starts. One thing for thought though, would the Bobcats want to trade 'Meka to a division rival?

[Hoops23]

So are we gonna ask D-Wade to put up with 2 more seasons of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker types so we have a 10% chance at Bosh in 2010 -- when EVERYONE will have cap space and chase he and Lebron?

Or should we just grab a young impact FA after this season if available?

I say it's obvious you try the latter. Then if all 12 options somehow fail next offseason, you have no choice but to do the former.

But to PLAN ON on passing up guys like Josh Smith (if available) saying "No thanks, we'll live with Kwame Brown and James Jones another year, go nowhere of course yet again, piss off Wade and Beasley, and roll the dice on a 10% chance at Bosh in 2010 rather than 100% of Josh Smith right now" would be very presumptuous and mistaken.

I say you take the great FA when you can get him. Waiting another year is a pointless roll of the dice. We need Wade to win again ASAP, not a 10% chance at doing so in the 2011 playoffs.

Restricted free agents Josh Smith I believe will be resign back by the Hawks. J. Smith is a free agent this year not next year. Miami have Marion at SF and a center like Bosh is the good fit for the Heat than Boozer and Brand because both of them played the same position as Beasley. Most of the young good free agents next year are restricted. Wallace is a good fit at center but his attitude is a concern.

I see your point but I'm still for the 2010 off-season. I believe we can compete for a playoff spot this coming season. Riley must have a good valid reason when he said ``A lot of short [term] money will have to be accepted by these guys . . . We've got to protect our backside in 2010.''

[HeatSince88]

J. Smith is a free agent this year not next year.

By rule, whatever restricted guys don't sign multi-year deals this year will be unrestricted free agents next year. That's the whole point of this thread.

I listed I think 10 impact guys who are in that position this year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a couple of them not being able to come to terms with their cheap-ass teams, thus being unrestricted when we have max cap space in 12 months.

As for your point about Bosh, yes I'd like to have Bosh in 2010 too. But if I'm sitting there in 2009 with max cap space and someone like Josh Smith is there for the taking, then I call him at the stroke of midnight and he wants to come to Miami and take what we have to offer, why should I pass on that 100% commitment from him to wait another year for like a 10% chance at Bosh? That would be a big mistake, IMO.

That's like when we had cap space for Brand/Odom in 2003, should we have said "No, let's just wait. We'll have even more cap space next year when Kobe Bryant's a free agent, so let's wait and roll the dice on him." Of course not. If Brand or Odom says they'll sign with you RIGHT NOW, you take that 100% commitment rather than wait another year for a 10% chance at Kobe. That's exacty what Riley did in 2003 fortunately, and will do again if presented the same decision in 2009.

As far as Riley saying "we need to protect our backside for 2010" ... it's pretty obvious to me that means we're not going to take any more Banks-like contracts that will tie up the cap that summer JUST IN CASE WADE LEAVES and we need to use his resulting space to rebuild. In other words, don't take on any bad contracts and *assume* you'll just go over the cap to re-sign Wade in 2010 ... You need to protect your backside in case he leaves, and if he does you need to have that $15 mill available to get someone else. Which you would have regardless of whether you got a big FA in 2009.

The phrase "protecting your backside in 2010" doesn't mean we're going to sit out free agency for the next two years. It just means if Wade decides to leave, we need to make sure we are $15 mill under the cap to replace him, which again we would be even if we maxed out someone in 2009. We'd have Beasley+2009max guy + a few scrubs, leaving plenty of space to replace Wade if he left.

I dunno, I guess we'll see how things play out. If Riley had no interest in a 2009 free agent, this thread wouldn't exist in the first place. The point of it was to look at other possible 2009 free agents beside Brand/Boozer, who Riley is rumored to be very interested in. If he had no interest in anyone until 2010, Brand and Bozer wouldn't even be in the equation to begin with.