Please Riley, scrap DJ

Know anyone in the league that would like a 3 point assassin for a PG? One that plays with his back to the basket - while taking the ball over half-court? How about one that has a patented karate-kick move used to ward off defenders? Or has so little lateral quickness and footspeed you would think he had cement in his shoes? You don't?

Me neither.

Especially not the Heat. Sorry, Damon Jones, you seem to have overvalued yourself. And thank you for doing so. Because the last point guard that did so was Anthony Carter - and thank God his agent couldn't file the papers on time. That little miscue not only afforded Pat Riley a mulligan on what would have been another terrible move (note: he was serving both as coach AND GM at the time) from a contractual perspective, but opened the door which lead to Lamar Odom's arrival. And eventually, that door was torn off the hinges for Shaq's entrance.

The Heat also has a history of making careers for point guards. Just ask Eric Murdock. Or Rafer Alston. Or witness the return of Timmy Hardaway. DJ would just be another in a long line of one-hit wonders that passed through Miami and gained from playing in a great system.

The latest reports out of Cleveland are that they are getting tired of waiting for DJ to decide. They have offered him, reportedly, a contract but the most they could work out to was $21.5M - or the $3.7 cap space extended for 5 years with raises built in. Considering he opted out of his $2M contract for this season, that figure seems to be in the right neighborhood. And it frightens me that Riley may be giving DJ what he wants - and that is why there is a delay in DJ's decision.

If the Heat match what Cleveland supposedly is offering, they will do so without really tapping into their mid-level exception - which is worht $5.1M. Now, this is smart because it allows the Heat to sign a couple of players without any penalty. If they chose not to sign DJ, they would still have to sign a backup PG but do it while using their mid-level exception - possibly in or near its entirety.

But that is the best option. There are several intriguing players available still that can not only fill the need of backup PG but can also be upgrades over DJ. Chris Duhon, who was a big part of the Baby-Bulls phenomenon, has signed an offer sheet with the Raptors for 3 years at around $2.5-3M per season. (He is a restricted FA and the Bulls are believed to match). Steven Blake, a Miami High product, is another option although also a restricted FA. Dan Dickau, who had a very productive season as the starter for the Hornets in 67 games last season, has also drawn some interest. Getting 13.2 points per game and 5.2 assists on that team is not half bad. Imagine what Dickau could do with the Heat.

All of these players will cost less than the $4M per season that DJ wants. Sure, you would have to use that mid-level exception to land one of these players, but you would also have to use about the same amount of the MLE to retain DJ's services anyway.

Why not upgrade the position? Go with a younger guy who is a better ball handler, passer and has more defensive skill and athleticism? Earl Watson is available as is Jannero Pargo.

So Pat, don't overpay for DJ. The Heat just attained some payroll flexibility in this latest trade, not to mention generated quite a buzz around the league and making you look even more like a genius along the way. Don't ruin that by overpaying for DJ who looks better than he really is on this Heat team.