Tag: Miami Heat (Page 25 of 49)

      Reggie Jackson defends LeBron James

      July 12, 2010 /

      While appearing on the Dan Patrick Show on Monday, former Yankee Reggie Jackson stuck up for LeBron James for signing with the Heat.

      From SI.com:

      Reggie thinks people are unfairly criticizing LeBron James. “I’m not offended at all that he did that,” Jackson said. Reggie said that he would have done that if he thought it would save time and effort.

      Reggie said if he was in the same position, he would have loved to join his friends. Reggie would have loved to play with his good friend Jim Rice in Boston. “I would have loved to join those guys,” Jackson said.

      Jackson also pointed out LeBron could have made more money in another sport. “If LeBron James was in baseball, he’d probably be playing for the Yankees,” Jackson said.

      I think more people are upset with the way LeBron went about this process than they are that he signed with the Heat. Are we really surprised that a 25-year-old picked South Beach over Cleveland? Are we really surprised that he chose the path of least resistance in order to win a championship? Are we really surprised that he wanted to play with D-Wade and Bosh?

      We shouldn’t be. So in some instances, I agree with Jackson that the criticism of LeBron is unfair. What he should be criticized for is giving up on the Cavs in the playoffs last year when he knew he was heading out of town. He should be criticized for not being more sympathetic to the city that treated him like a “king” for eight years. It’s nice that a lot of money from the ESPN special went to charity, but he probably could have just given the Boys and Girls club a check and just held a press conference, too.

      The bottom line for me is that LeBron could have handled the situation better, but I’m not going to rip the man for the decision to sign with the Heat.

      External Sports, MLB, NBA

      How the Heat pulled it off

      July 11, 2010 /
      Pat Riley attends a welcoming party for the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, FL (Photo by Jeff Daly / Meet The Famous) Photo via Newscom

      Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer wrote an excellent blow-by-blow account of how the Miami Heat managed to convince LeBron James and Chris Bosh to come to South Florida to team up with Dwyane Wade.

      Riley really put the plan into action last November. During a Cavs visit to Miami, Riley arranged a get together with Michael Jordan and James. Jordan, who was in town to do some Nike work with Wade, at the time did not own a majority of the Bobcats.

      During the meeting, Riley talked to James about how more modern players should pay homage to Jordan. Riley always had led this effort, retiring Jordan’s No. 23 in the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena even though Jordan never played in Miami.

      The Cavs knew about it, and while it seemed like it could be classic tampering, they decided not to make an issue of it — mostly because the meeting technically wasn’t about free agency.

      After the game, and after seeing Jordan and Riley sitting together courtside, James made an emotional statement on the court that he was going to ditch jersey No. 23 out of respect to Jordan. In fact, he felt all players should stop wearing No. 23.

      It was controversial and got headlines. Riley probably didn’t care so much about the statement but how his conversation obviously influenced James.

      That was a key moment for Riley, but the entire article is worth a read.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      What’s next for the Heat?

      July 10, 2010 /
      July 09, 2010 - Miami, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - epa02243370 Miami Heat President Pat Riley (C) takes his seat during NBA basketball team Miami Heat's 'HEAT Summer of 2010 Welcome Event' at the American Airlines arena in Miami, Florida, USA, 09 July 2010. The Miami Heat reached an agreement with LeBron James to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, and sign with the Miami Heat.

      Now that the Miami Thrice is locked up for the next six years — well, for four years at least — it’s time for Pat Riley, the greatest general manager in the history of time, to fill out his roster.

      Larry Coon, who manages the excellent NBA Salary Cap FAQ, wrote a piece for ESPN about how Riley can proceed with filling out the rest of the roster.

      Sources told ESPN.com that James and Bosh signed for $14.5 million and Wade $14 million, leaving the Heat with nearly $8.3 million to spend.

      One persistent rumor has the Heat using some of their leftover cap room to add sharpshooting Mike Miller to the lineup, and Miller is reportedly close to agreeing with the team on a deal totaling $25 million over five years — which would start at around $4.3 million. While he is a natural small forward (the same position James plays), Miller’s skill set would complement those of LeBron, Bosh and Wade, and there would be several ways of slotting him into the lineup. In addition to using Miller as James’ backup for the 8-12 minutes James is off the floor, coach Erik Spoelstra could play either Wade or James at point guard and put Miller at the vacated position.

      Once Miller is on board the team would have just $4 million remaining to spend on free agents. It is possible Riley will try to use this money to persuade forward Udonis Haslem to return to the team. Since the Heat are without their own midlevel and biannual exceptions (sacrificed as part of the process to create cap room), the team would then be limited to offering players only minimum-salary contracts. Riley will have to sell some players on the idea of accepting the minimum in order to be a part of history. In return for their sacrifice the Heat could offer big minutes (including one or perhaps two starting roles), the chance to be part of a media phenomenon and a legitimate shot at the title.

      What sort of player would be swayed by such a pitch? The likely candidate is an older veteran who has already banked his nest egg, and is now looking for a ring before he retires.

      Coon goes on to mention Shaq, Earl Watson, James Jones and Raja Bell as possible targets for Riley. In my initial piece about how things would work in Miami, I listed the following players:

      The list includes, but it is not limited to: Joe Smith, Kurt Thomas, Theo Ratliff, Brad Miller, Rafer Alston, Jerry Stackhouse, Juwan Howard, Eddie House and Matt Bonner.

      The Heat could also target Brian Scalabrine, just for comedy’s sake.

      It would be another coup if Riley is able to acquire Miller and convince Haslem to stick around at $4 million per season. Along with Chalmers (and possibly Joel Anthony), that would give the Heat a six- or seven-player rotation, and they would just need 2-3 more solid veterans (Derek Fisher, anyone?) to round out the bench.

      In other words, this is not going to be as tough as some of the pundits seem to think it will be.

      If you sign Wade, Bosh and LeBron, the vets will come.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      It’s official — Wade, LeBron and Bosh sign with the Heat

      July 10, 2010 /
      Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James show 10,000 fans their Miami Heat jerseys after signing 6 year contracts with the Heat at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on July 9, 2010. UPI/Michael Bush Photo via Newscom

      Per ESPN…

      The Heat’s two newest superstars signed matching six-year, $110.1 million contracts, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher. Dwyane Wade took an even bigger discount to stay in Miami, signing for six years and $107.5 million, according to the sources.

      Sources told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford that James and Bosh are scheduled to make $14.5 million and Wade $14 million in 2010-11.

      Each player took $15 million less over the life of the contract to sign with Miami, but the deals came with a caveat.

      All three contracts, sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, have an early termination option after the fourth season that would allow LeBron, Bosh and Wade to return to free agency in the summer of 2014. Each player also possesses a player option entering the final season of the contract (2015-16).

      Bosh and James’ deals were completed through sign-and-trades, making all three eligible for 10.5 percent raises each year.

      The Heat sent two future first-round and two second-round picks to the Cavaliers for James, while packaging two first-round picks to the Raptors for Bosh.

      Sources told ESPN that Toronto reacquired its first-round selection in 2011, which Miami had from a 2009 trade that sent Shawn Marion to the Raptors, and added the Heat’s own first rounder in 2011.

      Miami then sent its first-round picks in 2013 and 2015 to the Cavaliers and Cleveland has the option to swap first-round picks in 2012, according to a league source.

      Both the Raptors and the Cavs will receive trade exceptions valued at $14.5 million, sources told ESPN.com.

      So Toronto and Cleveland (!!!) cooperated after all, participating in sign-and-trades to enable Bosh and LeBron to get extra money on their deals. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but both teams will get two late first round picks and a giant trade exception that they can use over the next year.

      What’s a trade exception, you ask? It allows a team that’s over the cap to trade for a player without having to trade a player with matching salaries (within 125%). So, for example, if the Raptors are over the cap, and they want to trade for Luol Deng, who gets paid $12 million per season, they can use this $14.5 million trade exception to acquire him without sending any players to Chicago. When two teams that are over the cap make a trade, it generally needs to be even salary-wise. The trade exception is a workaround.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Mike Miller joining Miami Thrice?

      July 9, 2010 /

      Minnesota Timberwolves Wayne Ellington (19) defends against Washington Wizards Mike Miller (6) during the fourth quarter at the Verizon Center in Washington on February 17, 2010. UPI/Alexis C. Glenn.

      After freeing up some cap space by trading Michael Beasley to the T-Wolves, the Heat want to replace him with Mike Miller, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

      The Heat then turned around and reportedly utilized that $4.9 million in gained cap space on Washington Wizards free-agent swingman Mike Miller, who had a standing five-year, $30 million offer on the table from the Heat. Radio station KSFY in Miller’s native South Dakota reported the deal early Friday morning.

      The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers also had offers on the table for Miller, with the Clippers’ package worth significantly more than the Heat package.

      Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James were nothing if not pragmatic by teaming up in South Beach, and Miller is just as wise to choose situation over salary. He’s exactly the kind of player the Heat need to play alongside their three stars.

      He’s a sharpshooter (career 40.5% from 3PT) and willing passer (3.9 apg last season) and he will make teams pay if they try to double off of him onto LWB (LeBron, Wade, Bosh). At the age of 30, he’s at the tail end of his prime, but his game should age pretty well, a la Ray Allen and Reggie Miller.

      Maybe the most important thing about this potential signing is how Miller is clearly willing to leave money on the table to play for a winner. It’s an early indication that the Heat won’t have much trouble filling out its roster with capable role players.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

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