Pat Riley: Miami Heat's immediate future rests on Dwyane Wade's decision

Source: SunSentinel.com

MIAMI - Miami Heat President Pat Riley said Thursday his team may still attempt to buy a first-round pick in next week's NBA Draft, but that any potential roster overhaul would not come until the team gets a sharper read on Dwyane Wade's future.

Wade is eligible to sign an extension starting July 12, or the team's star shooting guard otherwise could become a free agent on July 1, 2010.

"I'm going to do the best sales job I can do," Riley said. "When the time comes, we're going to make him an offer.

"What we do going forward is going to be predicated on that."

Riley said the Heat otherwise would wait until a year from now for any major overhaul, when it could have the salary-cap space to sign multiple star players.

"I don't know if I want to change this team that much," he said. "Keeping the team together might be the thing until we can make the move in '10."

As for moving up from the team's lone selections at Nos. 43 and 60 in the second round of next week's draft, Riley said, "On draft day, money talks. The possibility is there. It depends on who is on the board."

Teams may offer a maximum of $3 million in any NBA transaction.

Riley said teams mostly have been angling for future first-round picks in return for a first-round pick next week, but he said that is not a course he prefers.

"They want future picks," he said, "and I don't want to give up future picks. There may not be much activity in the draft for us."

The Heat's first-round pick is in the hands of the Timberwolves as a result of the 2007 acquisition of guard Ricky Davis.

"Was it a horrible trade?" Riley said. "Yes, it was a horrible trade."

While the draft is loaded with prospects at point guard, and while the Heat is lacking at that position, Riley said he might bypass the draft in favor free agency when it comes to support for 2008 second-round pick Mario Chalmers.

"You probably don't want to have another rookie," he said.

On other personnel moves, Riley said the Heat would extend qualifying offers to forward Jamario Moon and center Joel Anthony, allowing the team to match outside offers for the restricted free agents at the July 1 start of free agency.

Still, with the team within $300,000 of the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax on excessive payrolls, Riley said the Heat might be limited to carrying only 13 players next season, as opposed to the maximum of 15.

He said unless the Wade extension is resolved, the team also would not offer free-agent contracts that extend beyond the end of next season.

Riley also downplayed forward Michael Beasley preferring to play at a weight lighter than typical power forwards.

"He is a three-four," Riley said, offering comparisons to the Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. "Michael has the same skills."

As for his own status, Riley brushed aside recent reports linking him to coaching opportunities elsewhere.

"No, I'm not interested in coaching again," he said. "I really think it'd be too much to pick up and move. I've had enough."

Bosh Interested in Miami

The Heat's interest in Chris Bosh apparently is mutual. A friend of the Toronto power forward said Bosh has interest in playing for Miami, which would love to add him via trade this summer or free agency in 2010.

Bosh assuredly will dismiss any report linking him to another team because he doesn't want to upset the Raptors and doesn't need to decide his future for 13 months. But the friend said playing in Miami appeals to him.

With Bosh announcing he will test free agency in 2010, a competing executive who spoke to Raptors president Bryan Colangelo said Toronto appears open to considering offers for Bosh and likely would consider a package that includes Michael Beasley -- if the Heat overcomes reluctance to trade Beasley.

There are good reasons not to trade Beasley. For starters, Miami has a good chance to lure Bosh in 2010 free agency. And with the salary cap expected to drop in 2010, the Heat -- if it can sign Bosh and Dwyane Wade next summer -- would not have money left to sign a third player as skilled as Beasley. The risk is that if Bosh is traded to a team other than Miami, there's a chance he might want to stay there long-term.

The 2010 maximum-contract caliber free agents (Wade, LeBron James, Bosh, Amare Stoudemire) can make about $30 million more in their next contract by re-signing with their teams. So Bosh could ask for a sign-and-trade next summer. For now, it's hard to envision Toronto accepting a Heat offer that does not include Beasley, though there are packages involving Udonis Haslem that would fit salary-cap rules.

• A friend of Wade's said he indicated privately that he wants to stay with Miami long-term. But is Wade impatient for the team to be built into a championship contender, even though it might not happen until 2010?

''I'm a Heat player under contract,'' Wade said this offseason, adding there's no choice ''but to be patient. I know everyone wants to fast-track this team, and that's what makes me excited about the future. We're taking the right steps.'' Wade has said he will not sign with New York because of the weather. Source: The Miami Herald

Heat Team Report

By: Yahoo! Sports
Getting Inside

By all accounts it was a great season for the Heat. It went from 15 wins to 43 wins, the seventh-best increase in NBA history, before earning the fifth seed in the playoffs and taking Atlanta to seven games in a first-round playoff series.

“The expectation of our team this year was to make the playoffs,” rookie coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat did that. And guard Dwyane Wade(notes) turned in the best single-season performance in franchise history. He led the league in scoring and finished second in steals, eighth in assists and third in the MVP voting.

Now Miami looks to the offseason, where one of the big goals is taking a look at converting Michael Beasley(notes) from power forward to small forward.

“It’s going to be one of the major areas of focus,” Spoelstra said.

The 20-year-old Beasley came off the bench for most of the season behind forward Udonis Haslem(notes), who is a veteran team captain and a more polished player. The hope is Beasley can start at small forward alongside center Jermaine O’Neal(notes) and Haslem.

“I think he’s best at (power forward),” Spoelstra said.

But Miami needs Beasley’s offense to support Wade.

So, Beasley, who struggled mightily defensively, will work this summer on defending quicker players on the perimeter. The trick is that you can’t use your hands on the perimeter defending small forwards the way you would down low defending power forwards.

Beasley, who only played one year of college basketball at Kansas State, at least has better defensive grounding now. That’s a big change from when he entered training camp as a 19-year-old rookie in October.

“It really was like getting a junior high level defensive player,” Spoelstra said. He quickly added that’s not a knock on Beasley but rather a reflection on how his offense allowed him to get by without learning defense.

Beasley said he feels comfortable at that end of the court now.

“Toward the end of the season, it started to become second nature,” Beasley said.

If Beasley can make the switch, the Heat has a strong starting lineup of guard Mario Chalmers(notes) and Wade in the backcourt and Beasley, Haslem and O’Neal in the frontcourt. The first players off the bench could be guard Daequan Cook(notes) and forward James Jones(notes). That’s a good start.

If Beasley can’t make the switch, however, Miami has two problems: finding a quality starting small forward who is a consistent scorer, and a second consecutive season of bringing Beasley, the No. 2 pick of the draft, off the bench.

“We have four or five months to give him a look at (small forward),” Spoelstra said.

Season Highlight: G Dwyane Wade provided the best moments of the season and one of the best seasons in NBA history. There was the game at Chicago before the All-Star break when he recorded a steal in the final seconds. That set up F Shawn Marion’s(notes) game-winning dunk with 1.5 seconds left. Wade victimized Chicago again at Miami when he stole the ball in the closing seconds of double overtime and then hit a running 3-pointer to win the game as time expired. There was also the game against New York at Miami in which Wade finished with 42 points, 24 in the fourth quarter. And then there was the triple-overtime victory against Utah in which Wade recorded 50 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, four steals and two blocks, the first time in NBA history a player reached those minimums. There was also the career-best 55-point game against New York. You get the idea.

Turning Point: The trade that brought C Jermaine O’Neal and F Jamario Moon(notes) to the Heat from Toronto in exchange for F Shawn Marion and G Marcus Banks(notes) helped and hurt. The trade, made during the All-Star break, landed Miami two starters and gave it financial flexibility for the future via O’Neal’s $23 million expiring contract. However, Miami never had a quality defender at small forward after Marion’s departure, and that proved hurtful. Still, it was a good trade.

Notes, Quotes

• G Dwyane Wade could negotiate a contract extension during the offseason, something the Heat would love. Or Wade could negotiate after next season, when he has an opt-out clause, joining the star-studded free agent class of 2010. Or Wade could wait until his contract expires after the 2011 season, something that almost assuredly won’t happen. Either way the Heat clearly wants Wade to return.

“He’s our franchise player,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “We’ve spent (six) years together. We won a world championship with him. We love him to death. The fans love him. He’s irreplaceable … but we also understand he has the right to wait (to re-negotiate).”

Wade said he’s thinking about negotiating an extension this summer, something that would allow the Heat to immediately select a path for future trades and free agent spending. But he didn’t commit.

“The first thing I want to do (in the offseason) is go watch my son play baseball,” Wade said.

• Rumors will fly with the Heat, from draft night all the way until the February trade deadline. F Udonis Haslem is in the final year of his $7.1 million deal, C Mark Blount(notes) is in the final year of his $7.9 million deal and C Jermaine O’Neal is in the final year of his $23 million deal.

Coach Erik Spoelstra expects his current group to return intact. “With that being said, always expect the unexpected with (president) Pat (Riley),” Spoelstra added.

The big prize out there could be Toronto F Chris Bosh(notes). His contract expires at season’s end and there’s speculation he doesn’t want to return to the Raptors. Going a step beyond that, some suspect the Raptors might want to deal Bosh before the trade deadline so they can get something in return rather than allowing him to leave for nothing via free agency.

G Dwyane Wade said he’s confident the Heat will do the right thing, whatever that entails.

“We have one of the best presidents in the game at going out and finding the right guys,” Wade said.

Quote To Note: “Don’t get me wrong. Everybody wants to be The Man, quote, unquote … The 30 points (per game), is that something I want to so every year? Not really.” —G Dwyane Wade on getting offensive help for next season.

Roster Report

Most Valuable Player: G Dwyane Wade did it all. He had the best season of his spectacular six-year career by leading the league in scoring, finishing second in blocks and eighth in assists. And Wade, who missed 31 games each of the previous two season, only missed one game due to injury. Wade ended up playing 79 games because he sat out the last two as a healthy scratch to rest for the playoffs.

Most Disappointing Player: It’s not a player, it’s a position—small forward. After the trade that sent F Shawn Marion to Toronto the Heat never had the presence it had previously. Among Jamario Moon, James Jones, Daequan Cook and Yakhouba Diawara(notes) the Heat never re-gained its edge at that spot. That’s why Michael Beasley gets a shot during the off-season.

Free Agent Focus: Miami needs a backup point guard, a backup center and a starting small forward. But it has very little cash. It has about $69 million committed for next season and the projected luxury tax is $69.5 million. In other words, F Ron Artest(notes) is out of the picture. Look more for low-key players such as G Jannero Pargo(notes), who could return from overseas.

Player Notes:

• F Udonis Haslem has a $7.1 million expiring contract, and he knows the Heat wants to develop F Michael Beasley, his backup. But Haslem, one of president Pat Riley’s favorites, said he wouldn’t allow trade talk to dominate his off-season or season.

“I just won’t read the paper at all,” he said. “I don’t watch the news. I don’t get on Twitter. I don’t do any of those things at all.”

• F Michael Beasley said his rookie season was a good one.

“I learned so much, day-to-day,” he said. “Every day you learn something new. I haven’t really though about it much. But I can be a better playmaker. I can just play harder and do the little stuff.”

Beasley will stay in Miami to work on his game.

“I’m going to be around for a while, working out,” he said. “I don’t really have any plans or schedule. Whenever I leave, I’ll leave.”

• G Daequan Cook had an up-and-down season. He won the Three-Point contest during the All-Star break but didn’t do much afterward.

“After the All-Star break the competition went up another level,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat is hoping Cook can correct that during the offseason. Cook, F Michael Beasley, G Mario Chalmers and F Dorrell Wright will stay in town (the Heat isn’t participating in a Summer League) to work on their games. President Pat Riley has jokingly dubbed it “Heat Academy.”

Medical Watch:

• The Heat enters the offseason healthy.

Give Beasley more minutes? Not happening

Now that Dwyane Wade is clearly slowed by his right hip/groin injury there’s chatter about giving rookie forward Michael Beasley more minutes so he can score more points. Don’t count that on that happening.

Remember who coaches this team. Erik Spoelstra, a proud graduate of the Pat Riley, defense-first school.

Spoelstra will tell you (as he’s told me the past few weeks) offense isn’t the problem with this team. Defense is the problem.

Beasley, a truly gifted scorer, won’t help the defense, either as an individual or in the team concept.

Yes, Beasley had 21 points in the overtime loss at Boston when Wade didn’t play. And, yes, Beasley had 13 first-half points in the 96-88 loss at New Jersey and then only played three minutes in the third quarter. He ended the game with 17 points. But he played 25 minutes, which is right around his season average.

Beasley wouldn’t have slowed Jarvis Hayes (18 points), Chris Douglas-Roberts (18 points), Vince Carter (17 points) or Brook Lopez (15 points).

Unless Beasley improves his defense, or Spoelstra changes his philosophy, don’t expect Beasley’s minutes to increase.

With the Heat, it’s always defense above all else. Source: Palm Beach Post

What a finish! Wade’s clutch 3-pointers lift Heat

MIAMI (AP)—More than three hours after tip-off, Dwyane Wade ran across the floor, hopped onto a courtside table and threw his arms in the air.

Exhausted yet exhilarated, Wade pulled off a Miami miracle.

He scored 48 points, the last coming on a running 3-pointer to beat the buzzer in double overtime, and the Heat pulled out a wild 130-127 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

“Mr. Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr., if he’s not legitimately considered for an MVP candidate, I don’t know what he needs to do,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

He couldn’t have done much more against the Bulls.

Wade—who shot 15-for-21 and added 12 assists—made a desperation 3-pointer from near midcourt at the end of the first half, then forced overtime with another 3 with 11.5 seconds left in regulation.

By 11:01 p.m., those were almost long forgotten.

Miami’s MVP candidate stole the ball from John Salmons with 3 seconds left, dribbled downcourt and swished the runner as time expired.

“Always wanted to do that,” Wade said of his postgame table-hop.

Michael Beasley had 18 points, Mario Chalmers added 17 and Jamario Moon scored 13 for the Heat, who stayed within 1 1/2 games of Atlanta for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

Ben Gordon scored a season-high 43 points for the Bulls, including eight 3-pointers. Salmons scored 29 and Derrick Rose added 23 for Chicago, 0-3 against Miami this season.

The Bulls used only seven players Monday night. Rose played 55 minutes; Salmons played nearly 54; Gordon nearly played 50. And Chicago was right there, until Wade said enough was enough.

“Basically, that’s how the game was going to end—who had the ball last,” Gordon said. “Whoever made the last best play was going to win the game and D-Wade made a spectacular play. He willed his team to win.”

They needed every bit of Wade’s will at the end.

The game was tied three times in the second overtime, the last coming when Salmons answered a basket by Wade with 37.9 seconds left.

Chicago went to Salmons again on its final possession, and the former University of Miami standout drove into the lane against Heat forward Udonis Haslem. Wade came from the back side, tapped the ball free, then swished the runner at the buzzer.

“I made a move and he came out of nowhere,” Salmons said.

Dribbling downcourt, Wade said he was thinking about something Spoelstra said in the game’s final stoppage, telling players they had one more timeout left.

“I was about to call it,” Wade said. “And then I said, ‘Nah.”’

It was the 78th straight game where Wade scored in double figures, matching his franchise record. He’s also scored at least 20 points in 19 straight games, putting him one away from matching the Heat record in that department—which he also owns.

But that seemed irrelevant in the end.

“Right now, man,” Moon said in the locker room, pointing to Wade’s stall, “there ain’t nobody in the league playing better than him.” Yahoo! Sports

Agent: Head chooses Miami

Luther Head, the combo guard who was recently bought out by the Houston Rockets, will sign with the Miami Heat, according to his agent.

Head will sign once he clears waivers Wednesday morning. He was courted by Dallas, New Jersey, Charlotte, Milwaukee and San Antonio but chose Miami because of the chance for playing time, the opportunity to make a nice playoff run and the possibility of staying with the Heat over the long haul.

Head averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 assists in 22 games with the Rockets this season.

Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. ESPN.com

Heat inquired about Luther Head

Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed that the Heat is one "of about a dozen" teams that has inquired about guard Luther Head, who received a buyout over the weekend from the Rockets and now is playoff-eligible for another team as a free agent.

"We've talked to the Heat a little bit," said Bartelstein, whose client will clear waivers Wednesday. "There are about four or five teams that we feel might be a good fit." Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wade sparks huge Heat rally against Knicks

MIAMI (AP)—The New York Knicks made Dwyane Wade bleed.

So he made them pay.

Telling the packed arena more than once that “this is my house,” Wade scored 46 points, 15 of them coming in a dramatic 19-0 spurt that erased a huge deficit in the final nine minutes and carried the Miami Heat to a 120-115 win over the Knicks on Saturday night.

And think that Knicks-Heat rivalry from years ago is over? Think again.

“When I’m angry, I attack,” said Wade, who tied a franchise record with 24 points in the fourth quarter. “That’s what I did.”

Miami trailed 103-88 after Wade received a bloody lip that needed three stitches after the game and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra earned a technical for arguing why no foul was called. Wade was popped by New York’s Danilo Galinari with an elbow, which the officiating crew saw as the Heat star taking a dive.

Big mistake.

“He had that look in his eye that we hadn’t seen since Dallas,” Spoelstra said.

No, this wasn’t the 2006 NBA finals. But it was just as dramatic in many respects.

“It was a simple game plan in the fourth quarter: Just get them to take a shot at Dwyane and make him bleed,” Spoelstra said. “At that point, it (ticked) him off and it (ticked) off the rest of the team. Our intensity level went through the roof.”

Wade scored the game’s next six points, and the comeback was on. The Knicks missed eight straight shots, eventually battled back into a tie at 114, but Wade gave the Heat the lead for good by hitting a jumper with 1:04 left.

“A punch in the stomach,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Just gut wrenching.”

Wade also had 10 assists, Jermaine O’Neal scored 18 points and Jamario Moon added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat.

Nate Robinson led the Knicks with 29 points off the bench, but missed the 3-pointer that would have tied it in the final seconds. Larry Hughes and Chris Duhon each scored 19 and David Lee had an 18-point, 13-rebound night for New York.

“D-Wade is D-Wade,” Robinson said. “You see what he can do.”

If they didn’t before, the Knicks surely do now.

It got testy plenty of times, including with 5:40 left when Robinson said something to O’Neal, the new Heat center took a step toward him, and double-technicals were called.

By then, Wade was in take-over mode anyway.

He was 7-for-11 from the floor in the fourth, 8-for-8 from the line, even doing so without his now-infamous Band-Wade on his cheek.

He might need one for his lip now.

“It doesn’t go right on the lip,” Wade said afterward, talking slowly and with his lip puffed to double its normal size.

Simply put, the Heat were reeling until the final minutes. Robinson and Duhon were scoring at will, the Heat looked tired and on the brink of their second loss in as many nights.
New york Knicks center David Lee (42) is fouled by Miami Heat Udonis Haslem, right, in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game in Miami Saturday Feb. 28, 2009. The Heat won 120-115.
New york Knicks center David L…
AP - Feb 28, 11:00 pm EST

Then Wade got going, adding another chapter to his already-storied Heat legacy.

“It was just something that happened,” Gallinari said of the elbow. “The problem is that after that he turned it up quite a bit.”

The Knicks hit triple-figures in scoring for the 20th consecutive game, and it was obvious early they were going to get there. Duhon got it started, going 5-for-5 from the field—4-for-4 from 3-point range—in the first 8 minutes, as the Knicks sprinted to a quick 22-14 lead.

When Robinson checked in, the Heat had absolutely no answer.

He hit 3-pointers, set up teammates, even outjumped people a foot taller than him. By halftime, in only 16 minutes, Robinson had 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting.

New York led by as many as 15 in the opening half, and Robinson’s 15-footer with 1.7 seconds left gave the Knicks a 67-59 edge at intermission. Miami got within 76-73 after the first five minutes of the third quarter, getting consistent stops for the first time and attacking the Knicks in the paint.
New york Knicks forward Al Harrington, center, loses control of the ball as Miami Heat center Jermaine O'Neal, left, defends in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game in Miami Saturday Feb. 28, 2009. The Heat won 120-115.
New york Knicks forward Al Har…
AP - Feb 28, 10:56 pm EST

Then Robinson returned—and the game turned quickly back in New York’s favor.

The Knicks closed the third on a 22-10 run, taking a 98-83 lead into the final 12 minutes. Hughes made a trio of 3-pointers in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the third, giving New York more separation.

Then Wade took a shot in the mouth, Spoelstra let the emotions show, and everything changed.

“A very, very good win,” said Heat captain Udonis Haslem, who had a bandage protecting a cut wrist he suffered during another in-game scrum. “We found out a lot about ourselves tonight.”

Notes

Miami allowed more than 100 points for the 20th time this season, and is 5-15 in those contests. It was only the fifth time the Heat have given up triple figures in their last 22 games. … The Knicks are 22-7 when leading after three quarters, 1-27 when trailing. … New York has gotten at least 39 points from its bench in 13 of its last 18 games. … O’Neal had to take off his hard plastic knee brace midway through the second quarter after the Knicks complained the hinges were too sharp. He put it back on, with a different wrap, for the second half. Yahoo! Sports

Cook now a marked man

For Daequan Cook, the acclaim that comes with being the All-Star three-point shooting champion also is a drawback. The secret is out, so every team the Heat faces is focusing on this second-year guard.

Coming out of the All-Star break, Cook struggled and it appeared he had left his winning stroke in Phoenix. But Cook broke out of his minislump in a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

Aware that Cook, 21, has never experienced this kind of attention from opponents, the Heat has been reminding Cook that he can be effective without scoring.

'You have to let him know, `Dae-Dae, you're a good rebounder for us, you're an excellent defender for us, and just you being on the court is helping us,' '' Dwyane Wade said.

' `If you're not getting shots, that means the defense is leaving a guy on you and that's opening the court for other guys.' ''

This season, Cook is averaging nearly six three-point attempts a game. In the past four games, he is averaging about four a game.

He has become such an integral part of the offense that when he had no field-goal attempts in Saturday's victory over Philadelphia, it was a topic of conversation.

The team told Cook not to get frustrated.

''Hopefully going forward he continues to understand that he's not getting shots because we don't want him to get them, but other teams are taking them away from him,'' Wade said.

Cook acknowledged that being a marked man will force him to expand his offensive repertoire. It also is requiring him to be more patient.

Said Wade: ``The main thing with Dae-Dae is to keep his head up.

''There's going to come a time when he's going to help us win,'' he said.

It's happening already, and it could continue without Cook even shooting. Read more at The Miami Herald

Other Related News

The Heat spoke with Portland about Jerryd Bayless and Channing Frye, but the Blazers wanted more than Marion.

Stephon Marbury, who had been linked to the Heat, has committed to join the Celtics, the Boston Globe reported. Miami has shown no interest in Jason Williams, who wants to end his retirement. The Miami Herald