duncan228
04-28-2010, 02:23 PM
Ready or not, the Heat summer of Wade has arrived (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heatwrapup)
By Tim Reynolds
It’s here.
The most significant offseason in Miami Heat history has arrived. For the next few months, no shots will be taken, no games will be played, yet the repercussions might be felt around the NBA for years to come.
They call it the “Heat Summer of 2010.”
It’ll dictate whether superstar guard Dwyane Wade stays or goes, and with it, it’ll decide if Heat president Pat Riley’s recent promise to potential season-ticket buyers—“Our goal is to be a dynasty”—was merely a sales pitch or the first step toward truly reshaping the franchise.
“We can offer Dwyane Wade more money for longer years, more security, than any other team in the league,” Riley says in a video on the team website. “And believe me, it’s not chump change, the difference between a five-year contract and a six-year contract. Plus, we feel deep down in our heart, this is where he wants to be.”
Wade wouldn’t dispute that.
But now, with the 2009-10 season over following a five-game ousting by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the 2006 NBA finals MVP and former league scoring champion doesn’t want to just hear the words. He wants to see action, which will likely come fast and furious once the free agency window opens in about nine weeks.
On the surface, this year was better than last year for Miami, with the Heat winning 47 regular-season games, up four from a year ago.
Realistically, though, that’s about to become irrelevant. Last year doesn’t matter. This year doesn’t matter.
This summer means everything.
“It’s going to be,” Wade said, “a very important summer.”
The Heat will have enough salary cap money to give Wade a fortune, another superstar—LeBron James? Chris Bosh?—almost an equally big pile of money, and potentially could even add a third All-Star caliber player to the mix. That’s the plan, and if Riley pulls it off, Miami might have to start planning for a lot more June parades down Biscayne Boulevard.
“I think I’ve said enough of assurance of where my mind-state is,” Wade said before leaving Boston on Tuesday night, after Miami’s season ended with a 96-86 loss. “I don’t think I have to say much more. The only thing I can do now is take time and make the best decision for my family.”
It doesn’t take much to read between the lines: Wade wants to stay. If the Heat give him star-powered help, he will stay.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to build and being with some great players next year,” Wade said, “continuing to beef up our roster.”
That surely was music to Riley’s ears.
It’s not just Wade that faces an uncertain future with the Heat, of course. Most of the team will become free agents, including Jermaine O’Neal, Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem—a Miami native who has been alongside Wade in Heat colors for the entirety of their seven years in the NBA.
“That’s a business decision,” Haslem said in the visitors’ locker room in Boston after the season ended. “It’s up to the Heat and my agent (to) handle that. As far as I’m concerned, I would love to be here. But, you know, they’ve got to want me here. That’s where the business side comes into it.”
And then there’s the Michael Beasley conundrum.
The No. 2 pick in the draft two summers ago, Beasley was on the bench for the entire second half of the Game 5 loss, the last act of his season dribbling up the right sideline late in the first half and getting the ball stolen away by the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo.
His year was decidedly up and down, bouncing between brilliant and befuddling. Riley insists he loves Beasley’s potential, but it’s almost certain that the Heat will consider trade offers—especially because they could clear even more salary-cap space in such a deal.
“I really don’t want to leave Miami,” Beasley said. “I hope I don’t get traded, but if I do, I have to live life, keep living.”
Ordinarily, the end of the season comes with a sense of dread.
For the Heat, clearly, these are not ordinary times.
Season-ticket prices will increase, fans were warned long ago. The team had a “Summer of 2010” logo drawn up and is promising “blockbuster” moves. Riley and team owner Micky Arison even recorded video messages for potential ticket-buyers to click on and hopefully be persuaded to buy into the promise Miami is selling.
“The most important thing, though, in spite of what other people might think—we have Dwyane Wade,” Riley says. “And if I’m any other free agent and I know I can leave and come to Miami, a great city, no taxes, great weather, wonderful fun and play with Dwyane Wade, then this is where I’d want to be. So we feel very good about that.”
Adds Arison, when asked what the top Miami selling points are: “Number one, it’s playing with Dwyane Wade. And number two and three, it’s probably that, too.”
Which is true—provided, of course, the Heat get Wade to stick around.
“I really don’t think he’s leaving,” Beasley said. “But if he does, I really don’t want to think about it.”
By Tim Reynolds
It’s here.
The most significant offseason in Miami Heat history has arrived. For the next few months, no shots will be taken, no games will be played, yet the repercussions might be felt around the NBA for years to come.
They call it the “Heat Summer of 2010.”
It’ll dictate whether superstar guard Dwyane Wade stays or goes, and with it, it’ll decide if Heat president Pat Riley’s recent promise to potential season-ticket buyers—“Our goal is to be a dynasty”—was merely a sales pitch or the first step toward truly reshaping the franchise.
“We can offer Dwyane Wade more money for longer years, more security, than any other team in the league,” Riley says in a video on the team website. “And believe me, it’s not chump change, the difference between a five-year contract and a six-year contract. Plus, we feel deep down in our heart, this is where he wants to be.”
Wade wouldn’t dispute that.
But now, with the 2009-10 season over following a five-game ousting by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the 2006 NBA finals MVP and former league scoring champion doesn’t want to just hear the words. He wants to see action, which will likely come fast and furious once the free agency window opens in about nine weeks.
On the surface, this year was better than last year for Miami, with the Heat winning 47 regular-season games, up four from a year ago.
Realistically, though, that’s about to become irrelevant. Last year doesn’t matter. This year doesn’t matter.
This summer means everything.
“It’s going to be,” Wade said, “a very important summer.”
The Heat will have enough salary cap money to give Wade a fortune, another superstar—LeBron James? Chris Bosh?—almost an equally big pile of money, and potentially could even add a third All-Star caliber player to the mix. That’s the plan, and if Riley pulls it off, Miami might have to start planning for a lot more June parades down Biscayne Boulevard.
“I think I’ve said enough of assurance of where my mind-state is,” Wade said before leaving Boston on Tuesday night, after Miami’s season ended with a 96-86 loss. “I don’t think I have to say much more. The only thing I can do now is take time and make the best decision for my family.”
It doesn’t take much to read between the lines: Wade wants to stay. If the Heat give him star-powered help, he will stay.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to build and being with some great players next year,” Wade said, “continuing to beef up our roster.”
That surely was music to Riley’s ears.
It’s not just Wade that faces an uncertain future with the Heat, of course. Most of the team will become free agents, including Jermaine O’Neal, Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem—a Miami native who has been alongside Wade in Heat colors for the entirety of their seven years in the NBA.
“That’s a business decision,” Haslem said in the visitors’ locker room in Boston after the season ended. “It’s up to the Heat and my agent (to) handle that. As far as I’m concerned, I would love to be here. But, you know, they’ve got to want me here. That’s where the business side comes into it.”
And then there’s the Michael Beasley conundrum.
The No. 2 pick in the draft two summers ago, Beasley was on the bench for the entire second half of the Game 5 loss, the last act of his season dribbling up the right sideline late in the first half and getting the ball stolen away by the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo.
His year was decidedly up and down, bouncing between brilliant and befuddling. Riley insists he loves Beasley’s potential, but it’s almost certain that the Heat will consider trade offers—especially because they could clear even more salary-cap space in such a deal.
“I really don’t want to leave Miami,” Beasley said. “I hope I don’t get traded, but if I do, I have to live life, keep living.”
Ordinarily, the end of the season comes with a sense of dread.
For the Heat, clearly, these are not ordinary times.
Season-ticket prices will increase, fans were warned long ago. The team had a “Summer of 2010” logo drawn up and is promising “blockbuster” moves. Riley and team owner Micky Arison even recorded video messages for potential ticket-buyers to click on and hopefully be persuaded to buy into the promise Miami is selling.
“The most important thing, though, in spite of what other people might think—we have Dwyane Wade,” Riley says. “And if I’m any other free agent and I know I can leave and come to Miami, a great city, no taxes, great weather, wonderful fun and play with Dwyane Wade, then this is where I’d want to be. So we feel very good about that.”
Adds Arison, when asked what the top Miami selling points are: “Number one, it’s playing with Dwyane Wade. And number two and three, it’s probably that, too.”
Which is true—provided, of course, the Heat get Wade to stick around.
“I really don’t think he’s leaving,” Beasley said. “But if he does, I really don’t want to think about it.”