Pietrus Still Wants to Play in Miami

Reports out of France are that Mickael Pietrus still wants to play in Miami and there is a slight chance that could still happen - but it will depend on how valuable James POsey is to the Golden State Warriors. Or some other team for that matter that would like to be a part of a three team deal to send Pietrus to Miami and grab Posey for themselves.

The Warriors just re-signed Matt Barnes, an unrestricted free agent, to a one year deal worth about as much as Mickael Pietrus' offer of 3.5M. There are concerns that because the Warriors signed Barnes to a 3M portion of their MLE, they will go further into the luxury tax to keep Pietrus - something they are not willing to do. Which means there may be a window of opportunity for Miami to make something happen - if they value Pietrus enough to go over the luxury threshold themselves.

What's Left: Heat Free Agent Options

The Heat finalized the deal for Smush Parker, which gave them a young, athletic backup PG to replace Gary Payton who has all but retired. Verdict? Upgrade.

Miami's ability to lure Smush might not immediately turn heads, but the Heat get a solid consolation prize while watching Steve Francis and Mo Williams go elsewhere - neither of which was the fault or failure of the Miami Heat.

This also allows the Heat to move on and focus on other needs - like a small forward to replace the soon-to-depart James Posey.

Two solid options are available still - Ruben Patterson and Ime Udoka. Both are NBA veterans and can play excellent, physical defense. Patterson is not a consistent shooter, but that could mark him down enough (along with his age) that could make him an affordable option for Miami.

Udoka could be a bit out of the Heat's price range as they have dipped into part of the MLE for Parker already. That and Udoka has rumored to have a $3M dollar per year starting offer from the Spurs.

Then there are more interesting options.

Matt Barnes - still on the market, and unrestricted. His true market value is being displayed as he has not been a valueable commodity on the current market. However, he could be had for great value and with the Heat still having just over 2.15M left of their MLE, something might be worked out. He would provide athleticism, hustle, defense and a great shot with the ability to score big.

Jumaine Jones - another guy who could be looking to resurrect his career. Still fairly young (28) he can shoot and play defense. Could be had for less than the MLE amount remaining.

Dahntay Jones - another young wingman who, like Barnes, is looking for the right opportunity. He has size, can shoot and play physical and Duke players have a tendency to be well coached on the defensive side of the ball. Not drawing the kind of interest he might normally get considering the market and the assets still available.

There are options left for the Heat to meet their needs of a small forward that can defend and shoot. Even Eddie Jones remains on the radar.

Is Mickael Pietrus or Matt Barnes Coming to Miami?

Reports out of France are that Pietrus was on TV talking about how much he wanted to join the Miami Heat for the upcoming NBA season.

Meanwhile, the Heat have shown interest in the 6'6" French swingman, but what would set off Pietrus to practically demand a move to Miami? It could be that he learned Golden State and Miami were in discussions - his agent was the one who most likely informed him of this:

Golden State restricted free agent Mickael Pietrus, perhaps the best small forward still available, wants to play for Miami, agent Bill McCandless said, but it will only happen through a sign-and-trade. Talks between the Heat and Warriors are ongoing, but it's unclear if a deal will get done, McCandless said Tuesday. Miami Herald

The Sign & Trade? Most likely James Posey.

The Warriors have offered a 3.5M contract to Pietrus and any team that offers him a deal will have to exceed that amount to get him. Most likely the Warriors will match any offer, since the most Pietrus could get is the full MLE (5.3M) from teams still on the free agent hunt. Knowing this, they also know Pietrus has value and the Warriors also have a 9M trade exception they could use due to the draft day deal of Jason Richardson.

Will Mickael Pietrus land in Miami? He definetly wants to be here but the Warriors are playing hardball. Of course, the sign-and-trade could be Posey for Matt Barnes, too. Check out the San Jose Mercury News as they report that talks with Miami are ongoing, but that it is Barnes that should be the target and not Pietrus. Posey is viewed as an improvement over Barnes, in this case.