Haslem’s attorney attests that his client will be vindicated and was wrongly arrested. The Miami Herald reports that it was a passenger in Haslem’s car that actually possessed the drugs. He fessed up to it, too, by all reports.

There is not an official comment from the Heat yet, and as charges are pending there is no issuance of a penalty coming from the NBA – yet. If the charges stand, it would be a black eye on what was an historic offseason for the Heat. If Haslem is acquitted, it may serve as not just a relief for the Heat but perhaps a wake up call that should permeate a little more deeply into the Heat’s clubhouse. Some have suggested that Haslem has had a hard time coping with the recent death of his mother, but nothing to indicate whether or not this incident would have been effected by his loss.

The past two offseasons the Heat have been faced with a drug scandal. Last year it was Michael Beasley, which ended up getting some confused reporting about how serious it was and whether or not Beasley enrolled himself into rehab. In 2008, it was Mario Chalmers who was under the gun as there was suspicion over marijuana use while at a rookie introduction program for the NBA.

The #2 pick in the NBA 2008 draft was Michael Beasley. He never lived up to the hype and expectations here in Miami, but the ceiling is still very high for him. The Heat, even though reports were they wanted to keep him, are in the mode they were in during the 2004 offseason – rounding out a roster built to win a championship.

In order to do that, the Heat need more cap space. Sure, the commitment of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh is historic and epic in nature, but their contracts will be, too. Despite the talk of taking less money.

As it stands, all three players can sign for $16.6M contracts for this season which puts the Heat at $49.8M. Including Mario Chalmers’ contract $847K) that puts the Heat’s bill at about $50.6M. The salary cap has been determined to be $58M (a bit higher than some of the lower estimates of $52M), which means the trade of Beasley was meant to free up cap space primarily.

The Heat will also get Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 2011, and an undisclosed first round pick.

So what’s next? The Heat had a contract offer in place for Mike Miller which, apparently, the Heat wanted a decision by midnight tonight (also sparking some to think the Heat new they were going to land Lebron). If Miller signs, the Heat will acquire a shooter which both the Heat need and one that Riley has coveted for some time. There is talk of backup options consisting of ex-Heat shooters Rasual Butler, Jason Kapono, or even maybe a return of James Jones (who is already counting $1.5M against this year’s cap putting the Heat, unofficially, at $52.1M).

Sure, the Heat fielded a competitive team to try and repeat for 2006-2007 season, but the Bulls had other plans that season, sending the Heat out of the playoffs in the first round. It was clear Miami’s championship runs had finished with that squad. It was, after all, the acquisition of Shaquille O’neal that lead to Miami’s title runs during the mid 2000′s.

Coming off the heals of a successful 2003 campaign that watched a young team built around Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, and a young rookie Dwyane Wade, the Heat pulled the trigger and gambled it all for Shaq. The architect? Pat Riley. In fact, every significant run the Heat franchise has made has been done with Riley’s sleight of hand.

He is why Miami is in the best position to control this off-season with over $45M in salary cap free to spend. The potential of this offseason is also why Riley curiously said that coaching was not something he would rule out – much to Erik Spoelstra’s surprise. Riley also is the reason why Miami is a legit destination for Lebron James; some even go so far as to put Chris Bosh in Miami despite the impossibility of a sign-and-trade.

This is not something that happens without foresight. Pat Riley has had to shrewdly keep in mind this offseason when acquiring players. Take James Jones’ contract. He had an option for over $4.5M – but it was a team option. Riley had to final say on whether or not to extend James’ contract and since they needed the extra cap space, the answer was “no, thanks”.

Daequan Cook is a solid, promising shooter off the bench. His contract, however, got in the way. Riley shipped him off undervalued, to be sure, along with the 18th pick to get out of the first round for the 32nd pick. Clearly no one would make that deal – unless you are Pat Riley and you have a plan.

Now, the plan is a tough one, but one that Riley has been looking forward to for years. He has to re-sign Wade, and to do that he has to convince him Miami is the place to be. Which means, Riley has to make a splash right away – either a sign and trade for Chris Bosh or a straight up signing of either Carlos Boozer or Amare Stoudemire. Toronto has scoffed at the idea of getting Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, and Joel Anthony in return for Bosh, but they are open to getting a trade exception (about $16M!) and their first round pick back (which was dealt as part of the Jermaine O’neal deal) so don’t rule them out.

Then, after all of that, King James awaits. Perhaps he stays in Cleveland and nothing happens. But most likely, he is waiting to see how things will shake out. If the Heat can keep Wade, land a marquee power forward, then Riley has everything in place to pull off yet another major acquisition: his biggest yet. Alonzo? Shaq? Drafting Wade? Signing Lebron James just may trump all of those considering all the competition out there – but it wouldn’t have been done without a solid plan and vision in place running on years of creation.

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Call me crazy, but I’m not buying it.

Remember back in the offseason of ’96 when Juwan Howard became the first player to sign a $100M contract? It was on TV and everything. There was Juwan Howard, holding a Heat jersey and all smiles. Then, the NBA rejected the contract, stated that the Heat miscalculated how much money they had to spend against the cap and poof! Howard was back in Washington where he claimed he “always wanted to be”. The Heat were going to pursue litigation but then dropped the charges (boy, there is a story there, huh?).

One of the things about these rumors is that they cannot be validated. Why? Tampering. No player or official can comment on free agency or trades because, well, the NBA has mandated that nothing is allowed until after the July 1st moratorium deadline. So, 12 hours from now – wait and see what hits the blogosphere.

But if any team wants to get the inside track on Lebron, getting Chris Bosh would garner his attention. The Heat need to keep Dwyane Wade and getting Chris Bosh would be a nice way to start the offseason. With Bosh in house, the Heat could lock down Wade and then turn their attention to getting Lebron James. I still think Lebron is going to be one of the last ones to sign – he is going to wait this out and see how things shake out. Getting Bosh may give a franchise the significant leg up it needs to land the King.

We’ll try and sort things out on our twitter feed: Miamiheatwave@twitter

The max contract that can be offered for free agents is $16.6M. Currently, the Heat only have Michael Beasley ($4.9M) and Mario Chalmers ($847K) on the books. They had a payroll of about $72M last season, which leaves basically $66M free to field a team.

Now look, it isn’t even July 1st yet. And in all likelihood, James will drag this thing on as long as he can to make sure he gets precisely what he wants out of the biggest choice in his life. As the Clash would ask, should he stay or should he go? All signs point to a departure, but one that makes sense. Sorry, New York doesn’t make any sense at all. Chicago? If you think Derrick Rose is better than Dwyane Wade – which he’s clearly not. But if you believe what you see on BSPN, they would have you think a deal with Chicago is done. They cite the draft night trade of Kurt Hinrich as a savy move to free up cap space to sign Lebron and Chris Bosh.

Funny, the Heat had done that days before with the Daequan Cook deal which had the Heat trade out of the first round (18th pick) into the 2nd round (32nd pick).

Plus, the Heat still have an asset in Michael Beasley that could potentially be dangled out there to create a sign-and-trade possibility for the Raptors. The former #2 pick has big offensive upside and is even showing some maturity in that he has committed to summer training when all the draftees and young players show up. Usually it is reserved for 2nd year players or younger – Beasley is entering his 3rd season.

Despite what Stephen A. Smith might claim, this could still fall apart. The Heat may have over $44M to make a deal and there was a rumor that reported the three met in Miami to discuss a way to split the money and structure their contracts. This rumor has since been refuted.

Again, you can’t believe everything you read and hear over the next week or so. Free agency begins this Thursday, and Lebron James will make the final say – not any of his entourage, his mother, or the supposed genius of William Wesley (which just sounds like a made up internet figure).

Miami is in contention for both Lebron James and for Chris Bosh. There are still many details to iron out and things that have yet to take shape. Miami would be a logical choice for Lebron – and if there is to be a holy basketball trinity, there will have to be some things put in place to lure him to sign here and play alongside Dwyane Wade and possibly, Chris Bosh.

The Heat came back on the Magic despite being down in the 4th quarter by nine points with just over 5 minutes to go. Dwyane Wade didn’t shoot well, 6/20, but he gave his team the presence they needed to fight to the finish.

Dwight Howard had a rough night offensively but the Heat bits did a solid job limiting hos effectiveness. Yet the Magic had several chances to take the game back. Jason Williams missed two free throws coming on a Heat desperation foul after Vince Carter hit a three to take the lead.

Seizing the moment, the Heat inbounded and got a missed shot from Wade which turned into a Michael Beasley dunk for the difference in the game. The Magic fans left quietly, going home to prepare from their Thanksgivings. But it is the Heat who will be celebrating.

It seemed that Riley is staunchly fixed on waiting for this offseason to re-sign Dwyane Wade and add someone else to the mix. This has forced the Heat to be very crafty in regards to its financial picture, which the Heat have been able to do. They have tons of money coming off the books as only Michael Beasley and Daequan Cook are guaranteed to be on the books after this season.

So it’s audition time for this team – and the entire franchise is trying to show Wade that this is his current and future home. What to expect?

First of all, who’s in and who’s out. In: Carlos Arroyo, Quentin Richardson and Shavlik Randolph. Out: Mark Blount, and Jamario Moon. The Heat finished 43-39 last season, and lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.

What about who’s playing when and where? Expect to see the shift is on as Michael Beasley is going to start at PF while fan favorite Udonis Haslem shifts to the bench. Also, it has been rumored that Q-Rich has jostled his way into the starting lineup at SF, where Beasley was playing last season. Rounding things out will be Jermaine O’neal at C, Mario Chalmers at PG and Dwyane Wade, as always, at SG.

The bench looks intriguing. Questions abound over the role that Carlos Arroyo, Daequan Cook and even Dorell Wright will play. What kind of minutes will they get? When Chris Quinn returns, what is the point guard situation going to look like? Haslem will try his hand at coming off the bench, but it will only be successful if Beasley can show that he can rebound and defend better. Beasley, coming off a tumultous offseason, has seemingly gotten things on track in his personal life and is looking to take the next step in his professional career. Again, the growth potential of this young team is what will be assessed, and the result will be how far they can reach into the playoffs.

This is an audition of sorts. Dwyane Wade wants to be in Miami but only if it is in his best interests – he wants to win, not just make money. If this team can show growth, perhaps get into the 2nd round or deeper, then Wade should be a lock to stay. Who will remain with him, however, will remain to be seen.

Expectations: This team has enough youth to create a higher ceiling. Cook, Beasley, Chalmers – all can take drastic steps forward. The bench is stronger as there are more options to play with – let’s not forget James Jones’ ability to contribute to this team. There doesn’t, however, feel like there is too much of a difference between last year and this year so it is reasonable to expect a 40+ win season and a berth to the playoffs. The difference might be once the Heat reach the playoffs – I’m expecting at least a 2nd round appearance. Can Wade play another MVP-like season? We’ll soon find out.

Jeffrey Allison, you remember him, right? The Marlins top pick in 2003. He was slated to become another Josh Beckett. He had the electric arm and was named the player of the year – a prime prospect and phenom for the game.

Then tragedy struck – his addiction to OxyContin, exetending back into high school, took over. He became a mess. He had an overdose of heroin and didn’t pitch at all in 2004. He came back and pitched for the Marlins minor league affiliate Greensboro back in 2005 but suffered a near fatal overdose in 2006.

Today is a different day for Allison, who has been able to turn things around since those dark days about three years ago. He may not have the mid 90′s fastball anymore, but he has evolved into a pitcher. He has grown wiser with time and it is that introspection that has lead him to this point in his life – a place of positivity.

Allison is still climbing the ladder within the Marlins system. He may get a callup – currently he is pitching for AA Jacksonville. After putting in 120 plus innings last year, it is about creating a routine and developing consistency. Much like Josh Hamilton, Jeff Allison is showing that professional athletes with drug addictions can get it right.

This is where Michael Beasley needs to get right – we should commend him on recognizing his addiction and that he needs help. Professional help should be sought – most people can’t even do their taxes without a professional and they certainly shouldn’t try to overcome a dangerous addiction without help and guidance.

What does this mean for Beasley’s future? Obviously, he has to get right in his own personal life – you can’t be a high profile professional athlete without being grounded in some way. The fact of the matter is young athletes are not prepared for this sort of thing. How could they be? They are lured into the hype of playing a sport at the next level, but given very little preparation for the lifestyle. The NBA has a program in place, as do the other major sports leagues. It is still up to the individual to utilize the lessons and implement them. Beasley was warned, last year, with Mario Chalmers as they both were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Now, this is for real – Beasley has checked himself into rehab and is doing so away from Miami in a change of scenery.

The challenge for Beasley is to stay the course. How did Jeff Allison come back? He surrounded himself with the right people. “I’ve turned all the negativity into a positive,” Allison said. “I made the decision to surround myself with really nice people. I’ve got a nice and beautiful girlfriend and her family. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The other major obstacle is developing trust again – with yourself. Allison talked about not being able to trust himself and Beasley, while getting himself help, is demonstrating that same place in his life right now. “There was a time, when I was younger, when I had no direction or sense of self-worth,” said Allison. “Those were the times the organization didn’t trust me. They had good reason, because I didn’t trust myself. If you can’t trust yourself, why would anyone trust me? It’s taken a long time to trust in myself.”

That is the crux of the problem – these young players don’t have a way to sense a real value about themselves. Everything is so overblown and over-hyped that reality becomes almost cartoonish. Without a real reference point for what is of value – from monetary to emotional value – how could one expect a 20 something to understand what’s at stake? The fact that Beasley is getting help is very positive. His love of comics and Sponge Bob were red flags that ended up costing him the #1 pick overall. If he doesn’t get help now, it will be a huge mistake – not just for his career, but more importantly for his life.

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.