Charlie Bell: The One That Got Away?

Well, as we all know (and some of us expected) the Bucks matched the Heat's offer for Charlie Bell - which means he won't be moving to Miami anytime soon.

We could all pin our hopes on a trade, but it was more likely the Heat were going to make a trade if they retained Bell than they would actually trade for Bell.

What this means is the Heat's offseason continues to disappoint. Sure, it was a long shot and Riley basically took a shot in the dark on this, but it wasn't quite like the genius moves of the 2003 offseason where Riley dangled money for Elton Brand only to snatch up the Clippers other RFA, Lamar Odom. Mo Williams re-signed with Milwaukee, but because they are possibly even cheaper than the Clippers they had enough money to match Bell, too.

But this brings up an interesting discussion - or two rather.

1) Is the restricted free agent situation even a worthwhile pursuit? It seems like teams hold all the cards and the only negotiation ploy for an RFA is to threaten to go to Europe. This is what Bell did, and it is what Sarunas Jasikevicius is doing as is Mickeal Pietrus. Pietrus just wants to play in Miami, but it is looking like Golden State has some kind of weird vendetta against Pietrus and will stop at nothing to flounder his ideas. So, he threatens to stay in Europe - but the trick is, even if he does go to Europe, when he comes back to the NBA the Warriors still hold his rights and he is still in the same situation.

As an RFA in the NBA, you're basically screwed. Methinks that will get tinkered with come time for the next CBA.

2) Did signing Smush as an act of desperation stifle the Heat's ability to sign a guy like Charlie Bell? Yes, it did. But the real question is, who was more valued - Bell or Smush? It seems Smush is, but if he isn't, than what is the explanation for the Heat? Bell was available all summer, yet they made no overtures. They would have been better off pushing for a deal at the start of the offseason, like the Raptors did with Kapono, and we may have had him here in Miami. After all, the Bucks had to deal with the Yi situation and then the Mo money scenario. Quietly going after Bell at that time would may have been too much for Milwaukee to handle and they might have let him go since they were trying to plan on retaining the other priorities.

That is, if you think Bell was a highly coveted target at all. I think it was more of a 'hey, why not?' kind of move for Miami. No risk, all reward. And now the Bucks have to deal with that 5 year contract.

The Open J: Grab Bag

So the offseason has been a bit slow, but some of you have been stopping by and reading what we are covering these days. Time to return the favor!

I pulled this question out of one of our comments, posted by jasond76. He asked:

I agree about Johnson, actually. Although I honestly had to research him to become more familiar with what he could offer, I really think he could be a positive player for the Heat. Anyone Hollinger rates as a top 10 rookie around the all-star break is a great addition. With all of the interest Haslem is garnering, is there a chance we might trade Haslem for other needs (SF, a younger/healthier PG) and consider giving Johnson major minutes?

Hollinger rated Alex Johnson in the top 10 rookie class, huh? I didn't know that, very interesting.

I think we have to be realistic about something - Udonis Haslem has probably the most value of the Heat players that we could part with. Sure, you could argue that Jason Williams does, since he has a one year deal. But Haslem's age and affordable contract, coupled with his production and experience, make him an excellent candidate to be a complementary piece for a playoff team. The question is, as I believe I understand jasond76's suggestion, is can the Heat actually afford to part with him? On another "Open J" article, I actually posted that the Heat should trade UD.

So, my answer is yes.

The only question is, to whom? First things first - can Alexander Johnson push Haslem from the starting spot? Quite possibly. That isn't to say UD is not any good, just that Johnson has vast potential and it has gone quite untapped since his college days at FSU. He is explosive, athletic, and with those gifts comes confidence that he can perform at the pro level. He can rebound, he can score, and his long reach enable him to defend better and hurry his assignments and force them to shoot contested shots. UD gets better positioning, but that is something Johnson can work on and obtain with experience. Johnson has a solid midrange game, not quite as good as UD's, but Haslem was not polished by any means coming into training camp as an undrafted rookie with the Heat a few years back.

Yes, Haslem is expendable, and for that very reason he should be dealt. We Heat fans tend to overvalue him, but coupled with another asset, something tangible could be yielded in return.

Also, watch this Charlie Bell signing very carefully. If the Heat are able to retain him, this could be a signal that a move is imminent. On its own, this Bell signing has very good value as the Heat gain a shooter and scorer in Bell that could complement Wade's game and even afford the Heat to play Bell alongside Wade while giving Bell the point guard as the defensive assignment. And they could do so with confidence. This of course means that Jason Williams could be just a bit more expendable, but it would also mean that the Heat would have to be confident with Smush Parker as their starting PG.

The Johnson signing definitely makes Haslem a bit more expendable. Signing Bell could mean that we would be free to drop another asset into the pot to pull the trigger on a deal. We'll see if the gambit pays off.

Thanks again, jasond76 for the question. Keep 'em coming!

Charlie Bell Signs Offer Sheet with Miami Heat

This may signal another move in the works. Then again, it might be a pipe dream.

The Heat extended an offer to Charlie Bell and he took it. The 6'3" guard who has been stuck in Milwaukee the last few years, signed an offer sheet with the Heat for 5 years at 18.5M. The Bucks can match, but reports were that they expected to entice Bell with less than a million per season. Bell and his representation started to explore playing in Europe as an option to free him from the Bucks, but with the Heat's signing the Bucks may be reluctant to match but instead look for another option.

The Bucks have 7 days to match the Heat's offer...that means mark the 24th on your calendar. Let the countdown begin.

Shaq's Divorce

Look, this is something that belongs on TMZ or some other celebrity head-hunting site. Nevertheless, it is news about a Heat player and we must cover it. So, our commentary is this - oh well. Looks like there was some marital trouble in Shaq-ra-la. It seems to be due to suspicions about finances. Looking for more?

Read:
Greg Cote's Blog
Should we all be more like Shaunie?
Sun-Sentinel

Heat Getting Older?

That's right, as if the media can't make fun of the Heat enough, there is a possibility the Heat could actually get older.

Apparently the latest buzz is the Heat are interested in two names that may seem familiar to NBA fans of several years ago - Doug Christie and Allan Houston.

Christie has stated that he is going to play again this season and has several offers from teams for private workouts. He has been making the circuit, and in actuality the Heat is a team that looks to be a consideration. Since the loss of Posey, the Heat are in need of a tough, physical perimeter defender and Christie could provide that as well as a solid outside shot. Since he would be viewed as a stretch, due to his age, his value would be high in the sense that he could really only demand the veteran minimum salary.

The other possibility is more intriguing for Heat fans, considering the history. Alan Houston has been a favorite of Riley's and is in great shape and has an excellent understanding of positioning on offense. He can play off of Shaq and Wade - however, due to his advanced age at his position, he might not be able to offer more than 15 or even 20 minutes of high level play. At 36, he came in the league with Shaq and has ties to the big fella, although his history against the Heat would make his signing hard to swallow. Reportedly, both the Heat and the Cavaliers are interested.

Right now it is highly unlikely that the Heat make a big move via a trade, but rather they will most likely sign a player in order to thicken the pool going into camp. Adding either Christie or Houston would be an intriguing move to bolster the roster and shore up a hole left by a departing player.