Jason Williams Anyone?

*Updated 2/20/08*

Jason Williams, L.A. Clippers: Technically retired, word is that he filed for reinstatement with the league today. If so, the Clippers would likely reach a buyout agreement with him that could allow him to return to the Miami Heat, who are in search of a veteran backup point guard to help out Mario Chalmers. Source: ESPN.com




Jason Williams, the once-flashy veteran point guard, has filed a letter with the NBA to seek immediate reinstatement into the league, an internal NBA memo revealed on Thursday.

If the NBA’s Board of Governors approves his petition, which was sent to the league’s 30 teams on Wednesday, Williams could become a productive free agent for contenders needing point guard depth. League executives immediately speculated that Williams could return to the Miami Heat, who he helped win the 2006 NBA championship, or the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Even so, the Los Angeles Clippers would have exclusive rights to Williams, but it’s doubtful in their losing and cost-cutting state they would want to do anything but negotiate a buyout with him.

Williams signed with the Clippers last summer, but retired before the start of training camp. After filing retirement papers in the preseason, he sent a letter to the league office on Feb. 6 and asked to be removed from the voluntary retirement list.

Williams needs a unanimous vote of the Board of Governors to waive a one-year mandatory waiting period to return from the voluntary retired list. Teams have until Feb. 27 to cast a vote, the memo said.

Williams played 10 years in the NBA, including stops in Sacramento, Memphis and Miami. He’s averaged 11. 4 points and 6.3 assists for his career. Source: Yahoo! Sports

No deal for Miami Heat at NBA trading deadline

By Ira Winderman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

MIAMI - The Miami Heat made its move last Friday. It spent today's NBA trading deadline more concerned with making its pieces fit.

Six days after acquiring center Jermaine O'Neal and forward Jamario Moon from the Toronto Raptors, the Heat spent today's deadline as a spectator, without making a move.

"We think it's enough," coach Erik Spoelstra said after practice at AmericanAirlines Arena of a roster that was revamped last week, at the cost of forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks. "We have a lot of flexibility with guys who can play multiple positions."

Thursday, though, Spoelstra's flexibility was limited.

Guard Dwyane Wade arrived prepared for practice, but then was sent home with the flu once he began vomiting. Forward James Jones missed the session to have his right hand examined, after it was bruised in the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. As soon as practice was over, O'Neal left without comment to have his right eye examined, after taking an elbow from Mike Miller in the loss to the Timberwolves.

The Heat's next game is Saturday against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

Heat President Pat Riley said in the days leading to the deadline that he would attempt to add an additional point guard to replace Banks.

Spoelstra, however, said he is comfortable with the tandem of starter Mario Chalmers and backup Chris Quinn at point guard, with Wade also taking minutes at the position.

"If you're looking to get something off the waiver wire now, at the 11th hour, I don't know if you're going to get somebody that's going to replace either one of our guys there," Spoelstra said.

That doesn't mean the Heat is necessarily finished at point guard. Players waived by March 1 remain eligible for another team's playoff roster. Among those who could become available at point guard are Stephon Marbury, Sam Cassell, Jamaal Tinsley and even former Heat guard Jason Williams. Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wade sues estranged wife, attorneys

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP)—Dwyane Wade sued his estranged wife and two of her lawyers Wednesday over accusations the Miami Heat star contracted a sexually transmitted disease through an extramarital affair.

In the lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, Wade is seeking at least $50,000 in damages from each defendant.

Siohvaughn Wade said last month the player infected her with an unspecified disease in 2007. Weeks later, she withdrew the claim from the court hearing the divorce case for unknown reasons.

That wasn’t enough to satisfy the 2006 NBA finals MVP, who said her allegations not only defamed him, but caused “embarrassment” and “humiliation” along with damaging future earning potential.

“It has been difficult to see false allegations, rumors and gossip repeatedly discussed in public about my personal life,” Dwyane Wade said in a statement released to the AP. “I had no other choice but to file this action in order to clear my name.”

Wade declined further comment.

The All-Star guard also lists attorneys Michael Berger and Dorene Marcus as defendants, along with their firms, contending they wronged him in the same manner as his estranged wife. The suit was filed in Chicago, where the divorce proceedings have gone on for nearly a year.

“Mr. Wade has been the victim of a reckless campaign by Siohvaughn Wade and her lawyers to publicly humiliate him and damage his reputation,” Joe Power, an attorney representing the Heat player, said in a statement to the AP. “To clear the public record from these false and malicious allegations, we have filed a defamation suit in court … and will seek appropriate compensation for damages.”

Siohvaughn Wade’s claim made “by and through her attorneys, and disseminated by various print and online media throughout the world placed plaintiff Dwyane Wade in a false light,” according to the lawsuit.

“We believe there’s absolutely no merit to it,” Berger said. “I believe that the lawsuit will get dismissed. It seems interesting to me Wade would file a lawsuit like this when he supposedly wants to keep a low profile. This lawsuit will put his entire private and social life in full view of the public.”

Berger added that even though the original claim by Siohvaughn Wade was withdrawn, “Mrs. Wade has stood behind her allegations.”

In the allegations filed in January, along with the claims of affairs and being infected with an STD, Siohvaughn Wade said her husband abandoned their children and goes weeks at a time without speaking to them. She added that the paternal relationship was so severed that her younger son cries uncontrollably when he’s around and he does not recognize Dwyane Wade as his father.

Siohvaughn Wade’s withdrawal of the claim wouldn’t prevent her from resubmitting it to court at a later date. The divorce proceedings are not expected to end anytime soon.

Dwyane Wade’s private life has been tabloid fodder for several months, a span that largely coincides with his split from his high school sweetheart.

A recent story in The Palm Beach Post, based on comments made by a former business partner of Dwyane Wade—a person who’s filed suit against him, alleging breach of contract in a failed restaurant deal—said Wade used a rented Miami apartment for sex parties and smoked marijuana.

Wade’s representatives denied that story, dismissing it as lies from someone seeking a payoff from the NBA star.

Dwyane and Siohvaughn Wade began dating as teens and continued their relationship through college. He starred at Marquette, leading his team to the Final Four before being drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in 2003 by Miami.

The couple married in 2002 and have two children, the older of whom was born three months before the wedding. Their second son was born in 2007.

Through the tumult, Wade has been having the best season of his career in many statistical areas. He entered play Wednesday as the NBA’s second-leading scorer.

“He’s done a tremendous job just focusing on the team and the game when he’s in this building,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “In many ways, this can be a sanctuary, not just a place of work, but a place of escape and he’s got a great way of compartmentalizing things in his life.” Source: Yahoo! Sports

Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon call swap to the Miami Heat 'a perfect fit'

O'Neal & Moon Press Conference Video

BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD
srothschild@MiamiHerald.com

One player is motivated to prove he still can be an elite center despite injures. The other is in the final year of his contract and finds himself not only auditioning to stay beyond the season, but for a starting job now.

Together, center Jermaine O'Neal and small forward Jamario Moon share a goal: Help the Heat's playoff push.

''It's almost a perfect fit, as far as the style of play and the things they like to do,'' O'Neal said at Tuesday's introductory news conference after his first Heat practice. ``We have a really good chance to do something special.''

After being traded from Toronto last week, O'Neal and Moon are expected to be immediate contributors. Neither might start Wednesday against Minnesota, but both are expected to play. James Jones likely will start at small forward and Joel Anthony or Jamaal Magloire could start at center.

Although one practice is hardly an indicator, Dwyane Wade said it already is apparent the players swapped for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks will strengthen the Heat.

''We feel what this trade has done is put us in position to be more than just a get-in-the-playoffs team,'' Wade said. ``We feel we can be respected in the Eastern Conference with the Jermaine O'Neal-Jamario Moon deal. They can help us out tremendously.''

The Heat's goal had been to just make the playoffs. Now Wade said it is realistic to contend for the fourth seed.

''We want home-court advantage as well,'' Wade said. ``We want to look up, we don't want to look behind us.''

O'Neal and Moon said they prided themselves on being solid defenders. The biggest question is whether O'Neal can stay healthy.

O'Neal has played in 41 games this season but missed 14. He has played no more than 51 games in three of the past four seasons.

He said his knees are ready to withstand the Heat's 30-game stretch run to close the season.

''Absolutely,'' the six-time All-Star said.

'People say, `Thirty -- he's getting old.' Is 30 old? I thought 30 was actually peaking,'' O'Neal said. ``I'm really looking forward to this challenge. If I felt I couldn't make this transition I would have told my agent just to let me stay [in Toronto], to tell Mr. Riley and Mr. Arison I can't do it.

``I don't want to put these guys in a bad position.''

O'Neal is fifth in the NBA in blocks per game going into Tuesday's games, and Moon leads the league in steals to turnover ratio. O'Neal said he can score against almost any player and defensively believes he's ''one of the best in the league.'' Moon said he believes that playing for 15 teams in his young career should make this transition ``a piece of cake.''

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the staff will try to ''fast-track'' O'Neal and Moon, but he expects both to gel with the rest of the team easily. As an assistant under Stan Van Gundy and Pat Riley-coached teams featuring Shaquille O'Neal, Spoelstra said he has plenty of plays to incorporate for Jermaine O'Neal. But Spoelstra said the Heat does not plan drastically alter its style of play.

O'Neal said before the trade he had been closely following the Heat, knowing it would be a possibility. He said he recorded 10 to 12 games at his home.

Off the court, O'Neal said he already is house hunting. He owned a home here a few years ago but sold it. Moon said he planned to move his wife and daughter here.

Both sounded thrilled about the Heat's playoff push after coming from a Toronto team that was 21-33.

''Obviously, when you come into a situation where they're playing for something, it gives you added motivation to play harder,'' O'Neal said. Source: The Miami Herald

Heat starting over with a new O’Neal

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP)—Jermaine O’Neal made no grand promises upon arriving in Miami, unlike the other guy with his surname.

His formal introduction to the Heat on Tuesday brought no championship assurances, no vows of greatness, no traffic-snarling street party for a few thousand of his newest fans.

In other words, it wasn’t a reprise of Shaquille O’Neal’s arrival.

But make no mistake: Miami’s newest O’Neal still sees plenty of potential.

“It’s almost a perfect fit, as far as the style of play and the things they like to do,” Jermaine O’Neal said Tuesday, shortly after finishing his first practice with his new teammates and one day before his Heat debut, which comes Wednesday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“We have a really good chance to do something special,” he added.

A six-time All-Star who’s still only 30, the 6-foot-11 Jermaine O’Neal has averaged 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in his career, and could be in the starting lineup as soon as Wednesday, coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat had studied him for the past six weeks, and when the opportunity finally came to make a trade last week, team president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison jumped, sending Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Raptors for O’Neal and Jamario Moon.

“Someone of Jermaine’s skill set actually fits what we’re trying to do well,” Spoelstra said.

O’Neal once owned a home in South Florida, before selling a couple years ago, and has always been fond of Miami. In recent years, with Indiana and this season with Toronto, he was slowed by knee injuries, and has had surgery in the past.

But when asked if he’s got enough for Miami’s playoff drive, he didn’t hesitate before answering, “Absolutely.”

There have only been two players in NBA history with O’Neal on the back of their jerseys.

They sort of got traded for each other.

Shaquille O’Neal’s era in Miami ended a little over a year ago when he got sent to Phoenix for Marion and Banks—who, of course, then were moved to Toronto for O’Neal and Moon, who could quickly emerge as the starting Heat small forward. The Heat also got a $4 million trade exception, one first-round pick and possibly a second-rounder; the Raptors got $3 million cash.

And what a difference a year makes: When the Shaq trade was made, Miami was at rock bottom, the worst team in the NBA.

By bringing in the player known as J.O., the Heat think they shoot at home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Everybody in here, in the locker room, is open to these guys coming in,” said All-Star Dwyane Wade, the NBA’s second-leading scorer at the midseason break. “You can see the conscious effort of guys wanting to make it work. So the first day was good, and the only thing we can do is continue to move forward.”

The pieces will have to start fitting soon.

Of Miami’s final 30 games, 17 are against likely postseason teams, and there’s no time for a slide if the Heat want that coveted No. 4 seed for the first playoff round.

“It gives you added motivation to come in and play even harder,” Jermaine O’Neal said. “The type of team that they have, I was very, very excited about. Looking at the roster and actually getting out there today and practicing with those guys, it’s even better in person. So I’m very, very excited about the opportunity and the things I can present and bring to the team.”

Jermaine O’Neal had been a thorn in Miami’s side for several years.

He played against Miami 21 times since March 22, 2002; the Heat were 3-18 in those games, in large part because O’Neal averaged 19.2 points and 11 rebounds against them. And he scuffled with current Miami captain Udonis Haslem during a March 2006 game, a dustup that ended with Haslem being ejected.

“It’s over with as far as I’m concerned,” Haslem said. “In the heat of the battle, when you go out there and play and you represent your team, things can get pretty intense. I’m going to fight for my teammates every time and he’s going to fight for his. Now that we’re on the same team, we’ll probably be fighting for each other.”

Saying the past scuffles hadn’t even entered his mind, O’Neal said he was thrilled to be Haslem’s teammate.

“He’s one of those players you hate to play against and love to play with,” O’Neal said.

O’Neal will wear No. 7 in Miami, swapping jerseys with Marion. Moon—who donned 33 in Toronto, Alonzo Mourning’s soon-to-be-retired Heat number—will wear No. 8.

The trade was in the works for weeks, and although Wade enjoyed playing with Marion, he’s relieved the waiting is over.

“This is our team,” Wade said. Source: Yahoo! Sports

No beef between Jermaine O’Neal & Udonis Haslem

It wasn’t long ago that Jermaine O’Neal, playing for Indiana, called Heat forward Udonis Haslem a “fake tough guy.” Well, now that they’re teammates the two have no problem with each other.

“Those years are gone,” Haslem said after Tuesday’s practice. “It was in a different place in my career on a different team. And like I said, we’re on the same team now so we’ll fight for each other against somebody else.”

O’Neal said Haslem is “one of those players you hate to play against and love to play with.” He later added, “I really feel he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”

—Heat president Pat Riley said he’s still talking to teams about deals that could be made before Thursday’s trade deadline. Riley said acquiring a point guard is “not a necessity.” He also said, “There’s a lot of guys out there we like, but I don’t want to give up too much right now.”

Riley strongly denied the rumor the Heat is offering guard Daequan Cook for either Memphis Kyle Lowry or Charlotte’s Raymond Felton.

“That’s b.s.,” Riley said. “We’re not doing any talking about Daequan, but there are a lot of teams asking about him.”

As for making a move Riley said “I can’t see anything major.”

—Speaking of Cook, I told him since winning the three-point contest he really, really needs a nickname. I told him I liked the “Trey-quan” suggestion we got here a while back. He laughed. I told him I was serious. He laughed again and suggested “Dynamite.”

—Spoelstra said don’t expect any changes with O’Neal and/or Moon in the lineup.

“I don’t think much will change in terms of style of play or pace,” he said.

—Jermaine O’Neal on the trade: “It’s almost a perfect fit.”

—Pat Riley on the trade: “This is all about winning. That’s why we made the transaction.”

—Coach Erik Spoelstra on the trade: “It’s all about right now.” Source: The Palm Beach Post

Cook for Felton or Lowry?

The Heat are prowling for a point guard. The two names I've heard the most are Raymond Felton and Kyle Lowry. The Heat are offering Daequan Cook, according to a source. Source: ESPN.com

Adding Another Point Guard

Heat president Pat Riley has said acquiring a point guard would be a priority in the coming days.

The Heat could land point guard help by using either the roughly $700,000 exception it acquired from Memphis in the Shaun Livingston trade or the $4.2 million exception Riley said was part of the trade with Toronto.

With the Heat operating right at the league's $71.2 million luxury tax threshold, owner Micky Arison said he does not want to exceed the limit but would not hold Riley back from making a deal that would significantly improve the roster.

There has been speculation that Miami has some interest in banished Indiana Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley, but only if he is bought out of the two seasons remaining on his contract. Tinsley has filed a grievance against the Pacers and is awaiting a hearing.

Other targets could include players with expiring deals, such as Oklahoma City's Earl Watson, L.A. Clippers guard Jason Hart or Golden State's Marcus Williams. Source: The Miami Herald

Next question for Heat: Who starts at small forward?

MIAMI — Heat president Pat Riley could have waited until Thursday - the trade deadline - to acquire center Jermaine O'Neal and forward Jamario Moon from Toronto. But doing so during the All-Star break gave the Heat a better chance to prepare for the final 30 games of the season.

The newcomers will get a full practice Tuesday before Wednesday's game against Minnesota and two practices before Saturday's game against Philadelphia.

"It did play a factor," Riley said of the schedule. "We wanted to consummate the deal."

The task of blending O'Neal and Moon into the system will be more challenging because of the difficult remaining schedule: 18 of Miami's final 30 games are against teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

The Heat (28-24), which holds the fifth seed in the East, has three games remaining against No. 1 seed Boston and three games left against Detroit. Miami also has two each against Cleveland, Orlando, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Fans can expect O'Neal to start Wednesday against the Timberwolves. Over his last six games he is averaging 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and an amazing 3.3 blocks.

More of a question is who will start for the Heat at small forward, the position vacated by Shawn Marion, who was packaged with guard Marcus Banks and shipped to Toronto. The Heat could insert Moon immediately.

"I think he has a game that with the right pieces is very effective," Riley said.

Miami also could start Yakhouba Diawara, who has started 11 games, or it could go to James Jones, who is still on the comeback from off-season wrist surgery. Guard Daequan Cook is a less likely candidate to start at small forward.

Rookie Michael Beasley, who comes off the bench at power forward, isn't in the running to start at small forward, although coach Erik Spoelstra might give him spot duty there.

"I think this season is really about getting his feet wet at his natural position," Riley said of Beasley at power forward. "I'm not saying there won't be times where Erik might experiment with him at (small forward). He does have the ability and skills. But it would be a very difficult transition for him right now."

Riley said he feels he has upgraded his team with a starting frontcourt of O'Neal at center, Udonis Haslem at power forward and either Moon, Diawara, Jones or Cook.

"Somewhere you've got to get honest with yourself and say if you're going to compete with the big boys, you need someone in the middle," Riley said. "And I feel we have a very good front line now." Source: The Palm Beach Post

ESPN: Wade Back With A Fury

In the history of the NBA (not including the lockout season of '98-99), 24 teams have won 15 games or fewer in a season. Of the 24, only one -- the 1967-68 San Diego Rockets -- made the playoffs the following year. And they did it with a record of 37-45.

The Miami Heat, winners of just 15 games last season and on pace to win 44 this season, are making an historical turnaround.

Last May, when the Heat won the second pick in the lottery in what was supposed to be a two-star Draft, their prospects for success in 2008-09 looked grim. Their star, Dwyane Wade, represented his team in Secaucus, N.J. for the lottery, but at the time, he was rehabbing from knee and shoulder surgeries that he had the previous summer. After playing just 51 games last season, Wade was done in early March.

Less than two months after the lottery, though, and about 7,000 miles away, things changed.

In the fourth quarter of an Olympic warmup in Macao, China on July 31, Wade was on a fast break, sliced through two Turkish defenders, exploded off his left leg and threw down a resounding dunk on the head of Ersan Ilyasova, who used to play for the Bucks.

The basket didn't mean much. It was an exhibition game and the U.S. was ahead by 28 points at the time. But it was a play that reverberated around the league. Suddenly, the Heat's 2008-09 prospects looked much better.

The next night, Wade topped himself against Russia. On the break again, he jumped off of two feet, caught an alley-oop from Chris Paul and threw down a vicious windmill.

His U.S. teammates had only two words to say after each game. "He's back."

Six months later, after he helped Team USA win gold in Beijing as arguably its best player (and definitely its most consistent), Wade is still going strong. He has led the Heat to a 28-24 record at the All-Star break, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. He has played in all 52 of his team's games, one more than he played all of last season (and the longest consecutive-games played streak of his six-year career).

Most important, Wade is at the top of his game. His combination of quickness and aggressiveness strikes fear into every coach around the league. No guard can stay in front of him and no big man can keep him away from the basket with any regularity.

LeBron James may be the frontrunner for MVP and Kobe Bryant may be leading the league's best team, but neither is carrying the load that Wade is. No player in the league has accounted for a greater percentage of his team's points (via his own points and assists) than Wade. He has been directly responsible for 44 percent of the Heat's points, which is more than James (42 percent), Chris Paul (41 percent) and Bryant (35 percent).

That's just part of the story.

Even though Wade clearly was Miami's best player when it won the championship in 2006, Shaquille O'Neal was the team's leader. These days, Shaq is long gone and Wade is option No. 1 and 2 for the Heat. This is his team and he knows with that comes extra responsibility.

"He wants the workload," says the Heat's first-year coach, Erik Spoelstra. "He told me that early on."

When Spoelstra first met with Wade upon his return from Beijing, the player told the coach he'd do whatever the team needed him to do. He was willing to take on a bigger role on offense, on defense and in the locker room.

Spoelstra's response?

"It's going to be all of the above."

Spoelstra had two areas of emphasis. No. 1 was leadership.

"He's been a great leader in the past, by example," the coach points out. "And now, he clearly is the verbal and vocal leader of this group. He's taken a great step forward in that department."

Says Wade: "That's something that we talked about before I even went to the Olympics. Of course, with Shaq not being here anymore, I've got to be one of the guys that the team looks at."

Area No. 2 was defense. With his quickness and instincts, Wade always has been among the league leaders in steals. But he's been somewhat of a rogue defender in the past, gambling for the big play.

"I think this is clearly his best defensive year," Spoelstra says. "He has a better understanding of our system now, after five years. But he has also taken a greater responsibility, because people are looking at him now to lead the way and to show how we do things with the Miami Heat defensively. If he doesn't set that example, then the young guys probably won't follow. So he's been great with that. And within the system, he's still been able to find ways, with his instincts and athleticism, to get steals and blocks."

Wade ranks third in the league in steals. He's also the only guard in the top 50 in blocks, ranking 22nd.

Even as he steps up his defense and his leadership, Wade is scoring at a higher rate than he ever has, ranking second in the league at 28.3 points per game.

The Heat are riding Wade, but they've been careful not to overwork him. At least not yet. The development of second-year guard Daequan Cook has allowed Spoelstra to keep Wade playing about 38 minutes a game. That could change come March.

"As we go into the second half of the season, the workload might increase," the coach says. "But I'll tell you this: he steeled his body this summer. He's gotten his body ready for battle and he's a specimen right now. He's as strong as he's ever been and in the best condition that he's ever been."

The Heat are now in a position where a winning streak could put them in the top four teams in the conference. A slide could take them right out of the playoffs. Spoelstra will be depending on Wade more than ever.

"My body's been holding up and I've been feeling good," Wade adds. "I'm going to continue to keep going every game."

As long as he does that, the Heat's prospects for success look pretty good. Source: ESPN.com

Another Move Could Be Coming?

Pat Riley could have something else brewing before Thursday’s trade deadline.

“We’re going to continue to talk to people,” he said during Friday’s conference call on the Jermaine O’Neal trade. “There are a lot of other opportunities out there.”

But it doesn’t seem to be a big move Riley is contemplating.

“There are a lot of opportunities for smaller deals you might be able to make to fortify your team,” he said.

—Riley said the team would look at add a third point guard now that Marcus Banks has been traded.

“I think we have to address that,” Riley said.

One possibility is bringing back Shaun Livingston, who was traded to Memphis in January and then cut by the Grizzlies. Livingston is in Miami (at least he was last week) but his signing might not provide immediate help considering his knee doesn’t allow heavy minutes. Source: The Palm Beach Post

An Extension for Wade?

Days after Heat president Pat Riley said his biggest nightmare is losing Dwyane Wade to 2010 free agency, Wade said he might consider ending his bosses sleepless nights a year early.

Under the league's current salary structure, Wade is eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1 that could add another four years and about $86 million onto the two seasons and $33 million that will be left after this season.

With speculation among NBA executives that the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds could be reduced in the coming seasons amid a struggling economy, the maximum salaries available to free agents could either level off or decrease slightly.

Wade said he hasn't given much thought to signing an extension this summer, but wouldn't rule it out.

''When the time comes and I have to sit down at the end of the season and think about it, I will,'' Wade said. ``I'm not there yet. Who knows where things are going to be in two years? You focus on now.''

The Heat plans to create enough salary cap space for two top free agents in 2010.

As far as those nightmares, Wade said Riley can rest easy.

''Coach and I talk all the time,'' Wade said. ``He knows where I'm at, and he knows I'm all about winning. All I want to see is this team build itself back to being -- a championship contender.

``If that's done, then I'm fine.'' Source: The Miami Herald

Pat Will Stay Past 2010?

Heat president Pat Riley said he plans on staying with the team past 2010, when his contract expires.

“Absolutely,” Riley said during Friday’s conference call.

That’s important because I’ve always thought the key to keeping Dwyane Wade in a Heat uniform past 2010, when he can opt out of his contract, is keeping Riley in the front office past 2010. The way I see it, Wade knows the Heat will never be mediocre for long with Riley guiding the ship. He won’t stand for it. And Wade is almost a junior executive with the Heat considering he has Riley’s ear. Wade might not have it so good with another president.

As always, you have to put in a disclaimer that says Riley reserves the right to change his mind. But he said he plans on staying. Source: The Palm Beach Post

No Shot for Amare

Why did Miami consent to completing the long-discussed deal swapping Shawn Marion for Jermaine O'Neal nearly a week before the deadline instead of waiting a few more days to see what happens with Stoudemire?

One source close to the process says that the Heat were informed from the start that they had no shot at completing a direct Amare deal with the Suns because Phoenix did not want to bring back Marion -- even for less than half a season -- after last February's emotional parting ... and because Phoenix isn't especially high on Beasley, either. Source: Espn.com