Pat Riley says: No free agent point guards will be added
As per Ira Winderman’s article in the Sun-Sentinel this morning, Pat Riley says the Heat will not be adding a free agent veteran guard to replace the Patrick Beverley roster spot .
This means no big names like Allen Iverson or Jamaal Tinsley or less sexy names like Flip Murray or Bobby Jackson.
The thinking is with the Heat over the luxury tax thresh hold, the Heat will pursue a trade where they can send salary out and receive salary in exchange without adding more to the dollar for dollar tax hit.
Ira lists names of players who could be potential targets. Because they are in the final year of their contracts, they would be desirable because their acquisition wouldn’t alter any plans for next off-season. The players Ira lists include Luke Ridnour, Anthony Johnson, Chucky Atkins, Miami native and Udonis Haslem high school teammate, Steve Blake and ex-Heat guard Rafer Alston (remember this shot, the highlight of his 1 season Heat career?)
I can’t say I am terribly disappointed by not adding a higher profile free agent like Iverson or Tinsley. I know I mentioned if I had to have one it would be AI, however you get the feeling that if Wade wanted AI, he’d be a Heat pursuit. He might have burned his bridges with his actions in Detroit last year, despite still having the ability to be a star in the league.
I think there still is a chance the Heat add a small salary like Flip Murray or someone of that ilk. If you’re already over the tax (which the Heat are), what’s a few extra hundred thousand for adding Flip? Adding a Ridnour would mean sending 6.5 million in salary back to Milwaukee, who appear to have money issues of their own.
