Miami just changed its offseason fortunes a bit by dealing center Mark Blount to the Timberwolves for Quentin Richardson, who has been shuffled around so much the guy must be dizzy.

Both Blount and Richardson are in the final year of their contracts, so financially this fits into the scheme of things Pat Riley is trying to do – keep it financially flexible for next year’s offseason. Blount was scheduled to make 7.9M this season while Richardson is due 9.4M. For Blount it is a return to the Timberwolves, the team the Heat originally acquired him from (along with Ricky Davis) before the 2007-2008 season for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien and a first round pick. The debate on whether or not that deal worked out rages on.

It was the 4th time Richardson has been dealt this offseason – from the Knicks to the Grizzlies, to the Clippers and then the Timberwolves. The Heat, however, seem bent on keeping Richardson for the duration of the season:

“We are very excited to add Quentin Richardson,” Heat President Pat Riley said. “Over the course of his career, he has proven to be a fierce competitor, a great locker-room presence and a very prolific three-point shooter who may be one of the strongest perimeter players in the NBA. We feel that he will be able to match up well against the top scorers in the league.”

Richardson has been eyed by the Heat brass for some time now, actually. His ability to score is going to offer the Heat more punch, but where exactly he will fit remains to be seen. Richardson can play SG or SF, and will offer some depth to the Heat’s options of Dwyane Wade and Daequan Cook. Cook’s minutes seem to be potentially the most impacted of all here and with the Heat losing Jamario Moon to the Cavs, the depth at SF just regained itself a bit with Richardson adding to the rotation of Dorell Wright, James Jones, Yakhouba Diawara and an occasional appearance from Michael Beasley.

Let’s look at the Heat’s situation – they just failed in their attempt at signing Odom to the mid-level exception. It was a gamble, sure, but it didn’t work out. Heat fans might feel reminded of the Mo Williams sweepstakes just over a few seasons ago. The Heat also let Jamario Moon walk without getting any compensation. Perhaps it was overlooked by the Heat’s attempt to land Odom, but that would be too simplistic. If the Heat re-signed Moon they would be faced with paying double – since they are currently over the league’s $69.9 million dollar luxury tax line.

The Heat have several options on the table. They are reportedly looking at Jamaal Tinsley, who would be an affordable addition to the Heat’s roster as he would provide a veteran point guard at roughly $1 million – which raises the total cost to $2M when considering the luxury tax penalty. He would compete with Mario Chalmers for the starting spot and provide more depth. Milwaukee Bucks restricted free agent Ramon Sessions remains available, but reports are that the Knicks are leaning towards extending him an offer which means the Heat’s chances to nabbing Tinsley increase.

There are other free agents that could help as well. A major need for the Heat is rebounding and Memphis has let Hakim Warrick dangle out in the free agent jetstream. The Cavs have apparently extended an offer so it isn’t certain at this time that Miami is even in the conversation. A major hurdle for Miami is the luxury tax, so if Miami is to add another player it is most likely going to be a bargain basement deal so they take a minimal hit.

There is also the Carlos Boozer situation, which has cooled substantially. Don’t expect the Heat to make a deal but then again, this is precisely when Pat Riley usually shocks people with getting a deal. The Heat have tons of contracts that are expiring after this season – the Heat would just have to be willing to take back money in return. If the Heat want to sign a player, they have to free up money. If they want to trade for another player, they have these expiring contracts which would look good to teams like the Utah Jazz – who has the highest payroll in the NBA and paying a lot in luxury tax, around $20M. Who are the expiring contracts for the Heat?

• Jermaine O’neal $22.9M
• Mark Blount $7.9M
• Udonis Haslem $7.1M
• Dorell Wright $2.75M
• Jamaal Magliore $1.2M (re-signed for this upcoming season)
• Chris Quinn $1.05M (re-signed for this upcoming season)
• Yakhouba Diawara $945K
• Joel Anthony $825K (re-signed for this upcoming season)

In order for the Heat to deal these contracts, the situation would have to be deemed an improvement for Pat Riley. That means not taking on any salary that would limit the Heat’s financial flexibility for the upcoming offseason. The Heat’s goal is to re-sign Wade to a long term deal as well as add a potential marquee free agent like a Chris Bosh or, even dare, Lebron James.

Yet right now, the Heat has to shift its focus to this offseason and the upcoming season otherwise, they may have a hard time convincing anyone to come to South Beach to play basketball.

Tell us what you think – discuss the Heat’s next move on our forum.

This moves means that the Heat can match any offer when free agency begins July 1st. Quinn, Powell and Wright have the right to accept the Heat’s offers for their 2008-2009 salaries if no other team surpasses those offers.

For Wright, the qualifying offer is about $2.4 million while for Quinn and Powell the qualifying offers remain around the league minimum. Should a team offer contracts that give a significant jump, the Heat have the right to match the deal but may not do so depending on their situation after the draft is over and looking ahead to the big free agent summer of 2010.

It has always been Pat Riley’s modus operandi to keep the Heat financially flexible in anticipation of Dwyane Wade’s free agent status as well as to possibly land a few big catches that summer like LeBron James or Chris Bosh.

In Kasib Powell, the Heat have a capable perimeter defender and hard-nosed player they missed when James Posey left for Boston. They also now have 2 D League players on their roster with Stephane Lasme holding a conditional contract heading into next season. It also gives the Heat the freedom to explore other options at PG if they are not able to find something in the draft. Quinn could be retained to add depth if no other team snatches him up with a better deal, of course.

If Rose is available it seems clear that Miami would take him right away.

This is the basic question Miami is asking itself going into their 7:40 pm slot to make their pick on this Thursday. Should Miami take Beasley, they will give themselves a very good prospect that is going to come into the league and be ready to make an impact right away. They will have themselves another front court player that can shoot, score and block shots. Currently, Shawn Marion fits that role and the Heat hope to see more from Dorrell Wright as well this season.

Yet, there are many who seem to think Miami will not take Beasley, but intensely question his work ethic and maturity. With such a high pick, the feeling is it has to be a lock for Miami. If there are doubts, they could trade down, risk passing on Beasley but instead get more known quantities in a deal.

Rumor Volat

Rumor does fly, especially on the internet. There are rumors circulating that the Heat are in talks with the Memphis Grizzlies about a possible deal that would net the Heat Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry and the #5 pick for the #2 pick, clearly as part of a package deal. There are even discussions that the Heat are trying to get Conley from the Grizzlies and that the Heat would throw in Daequan Cook.

Another possibility finds the Heat dealing with the NY Knicks, there one-time rivals. The deal would be something akin to the Knicks sending Stephon Marbury and the 6th pick overall to Miami for Shawn Marion and Mark Blount. This would give the Heat the #2 and #6 picks in the draft and there are rumblings of the Heat being very interested in Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Love and even OJ Mayo.

Then there is the Seattle possibility which is the Sonics will send Chris Wilcox and the #4 pick for the #2 and Mark Blount.

Yet there are many on the inside who think the Heat are over-analyzing this situation. The best player almost unanimously is Michael Beasley. If he does have some perceived maturity issues, it could be just a part of the fact that he is practically fresh out of high school. And as a protected jock that hasn’t had to do anything other than play basketball, his view of reality is going to be a little screwy. You don’t miss the boat on that kind of talent unless you get some serious value in return. Besides, what better way to drive down his value than to find some kind of kink in his talent and push the perceived value of Rose up. This makes Chicago all but challenged to not draft Rose and have Beasley fall to Miami.

Drafting Beasley remains the best option for Miami. They can still always work out a deal if they felt they needed to thin out the front court depth of Beasley, Marion, Haslem and Wright. In fact, that process has already begun a bit with the Heat releasing Alexander Johnson today.

Pat needs this team to stand pat. They should draft the #2 spot and hope it is Beasley that is available because he will make a better fit with Wade and will make an immediate impact while Rose has to learn the finer points of running an offense in the NBA. Not to mention, Beasley would make the Heat need Marion that much less which would drive up his value even more.

If the Heat can swing a deal for another draft pick in this draft, that would be a solid choice but not at the expense of Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook (unless it was really high) or the #2 pick.

Five straight games with 30 minutes or more.

Four of those five straight games he is shooting over 50%.

Sporting his baby mohawk, looking more like a dorsal fin, Dorell Wright is averaging 16 points and 8.3 rebounds on 53% shooting and 100% FTs. He is even 3/4 from three point range over his last two games – which coincides with the arrival of Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

There is no doubt that Dorell Wright’s game is expanding. He has a solid handle, he can pass the ball and he is starting to develop a more consistent outside shot. If he can add a three point shot to his arsenal, he might be the most dynamic Heat player since Lamar Odom.

What is interesting to note is how the trade seems to be affecting Wright. One would think that Shawn Marion’s arrival would dry up his playing time but instead it has helped to expand it. Some of that has to do with Udonis Haslem being injured, but also because of the injury Miami might actually start thinking about going and doing something more unconventional – and maybe moving Dorell Wright over to power forward.

Wright has been spending time on the floor with Marion and the Heat have been going with Mark Blount at center. Some would contend that Wright is not big enough to play power forward but he is 6’9″ and 210lbs while Udonis Haslem is 6’8″ and 235lbs. Udonis used to have a weight problem, Dorell Wright is the opposite. Very straw like.

Yet look at a guy like Chris Bosh. He is 6’10″ 230 lbs and although only a year older, is putting up pretty good numbers. Dorell Wright is still growing. He shot up a few inches this past year and is still growing into his body – he hasn’t reached his full adult growth potential yet. I know, sounds kind of weird, but at 22 the kid is still growing – like his game.

Wright has the wingspan to matchup with players taller than himself, but he also has the athleticism to chase after players much smaller too. He can also handle the ball a bit and Riley has toyed with the idea of using him as a point guard at times in the past. More importantly, Wright seems to be benefiting from playing with Marion and the offense is more suitable now to his style of game and development. When Haslem comes back, which may not be until well after the all star break, there may be a bit of a squeeze for playing time for Wright, but Riley could also deal Haslem. That, of course, would be an indication of the way Riley envisions things from now on.

But let’s get back to the idea of Wright at power forward. Currently, he is playing small forward while Marion is at power forward but what difference would it make when Haslem returns? Wright could still slide in at either position to keep getting him playing time. The other thing to consider is, the Heat are high on Alexander Johnson and he could be used as a conventional power forward if the Heat actually did deal Haslem.

What makes the Heat really roll the dice and give them increased flexibility will be determined by Riley’s daring in conceiving Wright at PF. If he can do that, then maybe the Heat will not only score more cap space, but they might even be able to increase depth in an area of need they desperately need it – point guard.

Essential Reading:

Wright Finally Settles In

Look, the future is so bright, I just might grab me a pair. Kim Jong Il has some, much be watching Heat games.

Why has the Heat’s future been resurrected from one of a dilapidating old sorry site to a sleek, new, hip one? They traded Shaq away and got Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. And so far, it has paid immediate dividends.

Banks has already started to turn things. He called the Heat slow. Old man Heat need to get young buck quick and they are doing so by getting rid of the old diesel engine for a high-octane variety.

“It feels like we’re pacing ourselves for something,” Banks said. “If we get out there and just lay it on the line, we can shock a couple of teams and get a different outcome.”

But Banks isn’t the only one feeling prophetic these days. Shawn Marion believes in the future of this team too.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkymlc6iWnY&rel=1]

You heard the man. “I’m happy to be a part of this Heat organization and we’re trying to build for the future.” We all are.

The Heat got back not only an legit all star at a position they were iffy on, small forward, but they also added a potential starter for another position they are desperately thin at – point guard. Both Marion and Banks will take what they learned in Phoenix and help the Heat overhaul their offense and tweak it up to a faster paced model. The fans here in Miami are talking about it more, and seem to be rejuvenated.

Tonight is just another point in case. The Heat lost, sure, 114-113. But it was to the Denver Nuggets who had to rely on a career night from JR Smith to survive. Smith’s 8 three pointers propelled him to 28 points on the night, with which the Heat may have won this game and may have done so convincingly.

Shawn Marion did poor in another productive night with 23 points and 18 rebounds. Dwyane Wade, all of a sudden, is looking more like the play maker he was in the 2006 playoffs – having 10 assists and only 2 turnovers.

Not to mention the Heat, averaging around 77 shots a game, put up 100 shots tonight.

In fact, after a dunk from Marion, who was on the receiving end of a bounce pass from Marcus Banks, took a 42-28 lead at home against the Nuggets.

Overall, the team is performing better. Blount had 18 points, Wright dropped 19 and is showing himself to be not just an athlete that can score, but that can contribute with rebounds (8) and in other ways (4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block).

Remember, Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning are currently injured and in street clothes. They were both at the game cheering on the team and getting very excited. Could this mean Zo might lean towards returning? Regardless, the excitement was visible and could be a barometer of what is going on within the organization.

This team may or may not win a lot of games to close out the year, but the future is actually going to be brighter as a result. They not only will have salary cap space to play around with (expect another trade before the deadline so the Heat can get a player they want without having to play the numbers game – possibly Mike Miller) but with their continued losing efforts they are actually stepping closer to getting one of the top picks in this year’s draft.

So Enter the Matrix and watch as the Heat, with their true architect Pat Riley, turn this thing around very quickly.

Ding dong the streak is dead. And so is the Heat’s attempt at making history in its 20th season as an NBA franchise – which would have been bad history, of course. In it’s inaugural season, the Heat had started their NBA lives with a 17 game losing streak. Just ask Ron Rothstein, he could tell you all about it.

Not sure he wanted to revisit that memory. And now, he won’t have to relive it again as a coach for the Heat.

With a close win over the bruised and tattered Indiana Pacers, who were without Jamal Tinsley and Jermaine O’neal, the Heat ended their 15 game losing streak by erasing 11 point deficits and overcoming their own inability to consistently defend.

Can’t say there wasn’t any scares.

There were moments were the Heat looked like the old, championship Heat. Jason Williams had a couple of steals – a career high 6 in the game – and was able to toss a few exciting ally’s to players for emphatic dunks. Dwyane Wade zipped down the middle of the paint for one of his signature exclamation mark dunks.

Everyone was getting into it and the Heat made plays to end the game rather than to end the game.

Dorell Wright acted like it was the final game of the 2005-2006 season:

“To tell you the truth, it felt like we really won the championship again,” Wright said. “It’s been a long time. It was a good feeling, and I’m happy it’s over.”

He even launched the final rebound into the air a la Wade from the championship series against Dallas.

Relief? Yeah, you could say that. It might even pave the way for a new streak to begin. But don’t bother the ’72 Dolphins, they are a little preoccupied with something else right now. They have someone moving into their “neighborhood”.

“I’m sick and tired of being asked if we have any other offensive options other than Dwyane (Wade),” the author of the book “The Winner Within” said Saturday night. “I say, “No, we don’t.’”

Sure you do, Pat. You just choose not to see it.

And no, I don’t mean Whaq, the 20M blackhole. Might as well be a statue of Shaq that we purchased because the real Diesel hasn’t been around since after we won that championship. And even then there were weak parts to his diminishing game.

No, I am talking about Daequan Cook, Dorell Wright, and even Alexander Johnson. I am also talking about Mark Blount – yes, Mark Blount – and Earl Barron.

I am certainly not talking about Ricky Davis who all of a sudden has lost his shot. Maybe he should start yelling “fore” when shooting. Not “nachoooooo” like Gilbert “Crazy Eyes” Arenas does. Heck, at least people would be warned and there would be less injury to the spectators.

Cook, however, has shown flashes of being a star in this league. Curiously, everyone except Riley sees it. I mean, I know you drafted Jason Smith, but you did trade for Cook for a reason. You had a thought in there that was correct – get me more offense. Cook’s brash young attitude may not mesh with Riley, but Smush he certainly is not. Whom we could use, by the way, but Riley doesn’t believe in cornrows. The exception being Udonis and Ricky Davis – whom he had traded a few years back for precisely the same stupid rationale.

Look, I love Riley. The man is a great coach and a great tactician but frankly, when you are only focusing on one player and neglecting to explore other options simply because they are young is just plain dumb. Sun Tzu wouldn’t do that. Nor would anyone else – especially the man who built the team. Might as well not sign anyone this past offseason and rolled with 8 players.

When the Heat actually played well during this 13 game losing streak, it was without its two best players – Whaq and DWade. And it was on the road against the Mavericks.

Why? The Heat played as a team and Riley coached a TEAM and not a player surrounded by supporting cast. This isn’t a stiff action film where the cast is cardboard and formulaic just to support the notion of a script. This is a film that requires a bit more from its supporting cast and a bit less from its star lead. If Riley only let the team play and shifted his focus off of Wade so much it would achieve two things:

1) A team concept
2) Allow Wade to put out less effort, gain his health back and work within a team concept

In other words, Riley would have to coach and just possibly, this team might start winning again. Pookie ain’t enough. Whaq’s return certainly isn’t going to help our defense and will in all likelihood clog up the lane as a statue with one arm frozen in the air calling for the ball.

Pookie ain’t enough. And if Riley is sick enough of saying that, maybe he could go for the obvious and start playing his younger players and let them develop. Heck, this is all about next year.

From the misses on Mo Williams, Mickael Pietrus, Juan Carlos Navarro – even Charlie Bell – Miami was unable to add a marquee name to its roster. Heck, even a somewhat vague name would have helped.

There is hope though. After years of stacking up with veteran help signing to the bare minimum, Riley FINALLY shifted gears a bit and stocked up on young talent – signing them to the bare minimum.

There is a noted difference in camp with the younger crowd. The team seems a bit more hungry and energetic – things they definitely were not last season.

The buzz? Keep an eye on Jeremy Richardson. We have been pretty high on this guy’s athletic ability and his skills offensively. He was kind of labeled a project with some upside, but he has matured physically and with the Heat’s system, they may be able to fine tune him enough to get into the rotation. Riley has commented that Richardson reminds him of a young Glen Rice, which would obviously be a good thing for the Heat since they will need to find an offensive shooting presence off the bench to replace Jason Kapono.

Another young guy to keep an eye on is Alexander Johnson. If he can show his promise and deliver consistent performances, he could squeeze into the backup PF role that was envisioned for Wayne Simien. Johnson, however, has more skill, more size, more explosiveness. If both he and Richardson can show they belong, the role for Antoine Walker, the Heat’s most controversial and most inefficient player, becomes diminished.

At point guard there seems to be some excitement over Jason Williams’ quickness returning. He has said that he feels the best he has in about 5 years, and that his lateral quickness is back and he can actually penetrate into the paint. Everyone has been raving about J-Dub’s ability to pass the ball and how his energy level is up. Shedding 15 pounds and resting some surgically repaired knees will help.

Which brings us to Williams’ backup, Smush Parker. It seems an ankle injury that never healed is bugging him, keeping him limited in practice for now. Rest assured, that the Heat have a capable backup PG that could keep pushing the tempo once Williams’ is resting on the bench. Riley, of course, realizes he cannot push Jason Williams as much, but if healthy, it would be more prudent to keep him minutes limited so he can endure the regular season for the post season.

Yet, if Parker is not able to practice, there is an interesting battle for the 3rd spot heating up between Chris Quinn and Brian Chase. Chase was recently signed by the Heat after Shaq recommended him to Riley. The ex Utah Jazz point guard displays great quickness and agility and proves to be a tough defensive assignment at only 5’9″. He is also pushing pressure on Chris Quinn to make the final roster.

As for other tidbits from the start of camp, there is Penny Hardaway’s future with the Heat, which seems to be that of veteran presence off the bench much like Shandon Anderson was or even Eddie Jones was of last season. Also, Daequan Cook continues to show promise – the good news is he is playing with confidence and he is in shape. If he can continue to develop his game, he might get some solid minutes in the regular season.

And then there is the biggest question mark of all, Dorell Wright. If he can finally live up to the promise of being the Heat’s only high school draft pick ever, it would be a boon for the Heat. He has grown, he has filled out some, and he seems to be taking a much more mature and professional approach this summer as he takes on probably his more pivotal point of his career. If he can show defensive skill while at the same time controlling the ball and hitting his jumper consistently, Riley may have found his starting small forward. If not, the Heat may be pressed to make a move.

I know we all but gave Mickael Pietrus a Heat jersey, but it is looking like the Heat are retracting their interest. Maybe it is a ploy to drive up Dorell Wright’s value – or maybe they really are that interested in Wright after all. One thing is for certain, Riley needs to play him and give him a shot and the only thing that seemed to keep him shackled on the bench was his inconsistent shot. Statistically, you might be surprised to learn that Wright fared pretty well against his peers at his position. He demonstrated himself to be fairly efficient, but he excelled at rebounding and that is something the Heat need more of, especially on the offensive side.

That and the fact that the Heat “leaked” information that Wright is now being listed at 6’10″ make him an even more intriguing prospect that even last season. Perhaps some time at PF in addition to SF? We’ll see. But it is also one of the reasons why Riley is going to stand “pat” with the roster at this point.

Also, there is the Penny factor. He has been getting rave reviews from other players who have seen him in private workouts, and also he has been doing a pretty good job working with some of the young players like Daequan Cook and Jeremy Richardson – a sleeper at the SF spot that might even get some significant PT if he makes this team.

So, although the Heat haven’t made that big splash, and it is uncertain if they will or not, there is reason for hope here as some of the key young players have room for growth and with Kapono and Posey almost entirely out of the way, there is certainly an X factor that could see the Heat’s identity change and grow. That is, if Riley is open to it. Which may be illustrated by a trade – if he makes one, he needs to make it. If not, he might be satisfied with his talent already.