The Open J: What I'd do for Heat this offseason

Ira Winderman has unleashed his master plan of what he would do if he was in charge of the Heat. I am kind of glad he isn't.

Going after Steve Francis is smart, if it is almost assuredly going to end in mediocrity. Why? Well, the Heat have the following payment options they could tender:

1. The minimum level exception (MLE): $5.3 million
2. The bi-annual cap exception: $1.8 million
3. The veteran minimum (unlimited offers): 1.1 million

Now Francis has been bought out by Portland meaning he just got $30M for doing literally nothing. On top of that, 50% of whatever he gets in a new deal goes to Portland as part of the buyout agreement. Like Ira said, money is not an issue so Miami is competing with other teams not in how much money is to be offered, but in the situation. The Heat could get Francis for roughly 1.1 million and this would be a cost effective risk to take. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't cost the Heat much and Francis would most likely still be an asset to trade. Yet he is good friends with Shaq and his game could be an interesting complement to Wade's in that his skill set is very similar - not a great three point shot, aggressive game. Francis is a volume scorer, however, (see Walker) and if not getting the ball enough might not be able to get into the flow of the game. Still, at the cost, it is worth kicking the tires and taking Francis for a spin.

I think Mickael Pietrus is going to come to Miami. I can't figure out why the Warriors would let this guy go but hey, I am not going to quibble with that. His skill set would be a great fit in Miami - great rebounder, athletic, tough, can shoot, young. He could play the 2 or the 3 and offer the Heat a solid third option on the floor with Shaq and Wade. He can D up the tough assignments but also create enough havoc on the offensive side to help the Heat push those matchups. His flexibility would be ideal since Wade will be flopping from shooting guard to point guard and Pietrus could allow for Wright to develop into the starter we are all hoping to see. So far, so good.

Even Juan Carlos Navarro I agree with. But we have to swallow Etan Thomas or Brendan Haywood, that is for sure. Thomas is going to be make between 6.3M and 7.3M over the next three seasons while Haywood is going to earn between 5M and 6M - I would rather the latter. If the Heat were to make a deal with the Wizards it would be along those lines, it's true. I think Navarro and Haywood would offer more value because Haywood is younger and still has some ceiling left - let's face it, Washington doesn't have a game plan that would utilize Haywood's skill set as much as they are perimeter oriented. In Miami, Haywood would practice with Shaq and Zo everyday and something would just have to click, wouldn't it? Of course, that means we would have to deal Doleac as we would have no need for 4 centers on this team.

So far, that would net us:

• Francis $1.1M
  
• Pietrus $3.5M+
  
• Navarro $3M (plus buyout 2-3M)
• Haywood $5M

That is getting expensive, but of course it would be offset by a trade (Posey for Pietrus, Haslem for Navarro and Haywood?) and it would still leave us with part of the MLE, the 1.8M exception and as many 1.1M vet contracts as we can use.

I don't think dealing Doleac for Anthony Johnson is a bad move, but it might not be necessary. We would be investing in too many point guards at a certain point when what we really needa are longer defenders to mix up with other teams like the Bulls. So, these are the guys I would sign to round out the Heat roster:

• Sign Ime Udoka. He could be had for roughly $3M. Allegedly he has an offer for 3 years at $12M total - that figure is likely to include raises over the subsequent seasons and Miami could match that. Consider him a young Bruce Bowen with more offense - he can shoot the three, can lock down on anyone defensively, and is a very good rebounder.
• Sign Travis Diener. A solid PG prospect, he could replace JWill if he goes down with an injury or for some reason walks at the end of this season. I agree with Ira that there is a feeling that Williams will show up big time this season but it will depend on Riley letting him play. Diener, on the other hand, played alongside Wade in college and can do a lot of the same things Williams can do, just not quite as flashy. Cheap, probably $1.1M or less.
• Sign Alexander Johnson. If we are going to trade away Haslem, we need to get some PF depth back. If any of these deals go through, Johnson could provide a very strong option at PF and for a great cost - less than 1M. He's young and has a great power game (see previous blog entry).
• Sign Dahntay Jones. at 6'6" we get more size; he can matchup defensively with more players and can also knock down his shots (41% from three). He is athletic and just looking for a good chance and Miami would be a great fit for his game. He can play alongside Wade or go small at SF, too. Made 1.8M last season, offer him the bi-annual exception to play with the Heat.
  
• Re-sign EJ. $1.1M should get it done, and Eddie is reliable, professional, and could play in key situations when you need something done along the way.

Where does that put things under my plan?

• Udoka $4M
• Diener -$1M
• Johnson -$1M
• Jones $1.8M
• EJ $1.1M

That means for the MLE you get Udoka, Diener and Johnson while for the bi-annual you get Dahntay Jones and for a veteran minimum contract you keep EJ. That is five players that can contribute right away and you are still free to explore Francis (at 1.1M), a trade with the Warriors for Pietrus (sign-and-trade) and possibly even still explore the Navarro situation (he would have to take less money in this case, but he would be freed from his Barcelona club) as a trade could still make that happen.

You also gain more flexibility as you also must keep an eye on Trey Johnson and Jeremy Richardson from the Summer League, but if these acquisitions are made you really only need Trey Johnson.

Final Roster:

G Jason Williams
G Dwyane Wade
G Steve Francis
G Daequan Cook
G Trey Johnson
G Travis Diener
G/F Dahntay Jones
G/F Mickael Pietrus
G/F Eddie Jones
G/F Ime Udoka
F Antoine Walker
PF Alexander Johnson
PF Udonis Haslem
PF Wayne Simien
C Shaquille O'neal
C Alonzo Mounring
C Micheal Doleac

Of course, that is over 15 players, but not all moves would need to be made. There are plenty of options still out there that could be had for the Heat that could drastically improve their roster and it doesn't mean they should go after the tried and true veteran players that are looking to latch on with a winner because they have health concerns or bought out contracts.

The Heat have to be smart and go for value and with the market the way it is, there are plenty of options that could be had well below percieved value (Pietrus, see also Matt Barnes).