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Miami Herald: Miami's Trade Possibilities - Celtics Mentioned
Thanks Dontonon on the Celtics news group for mentioning this article.
Published Tuesday, May 18, 1999, in the Miami Herald
Offseason could see roster changes
BARRY JACKSON
Herald Sports Writer
For two years,
Pat Riley has
merely tinkered
with the Heat's
roster, confident
that adding a
Clarence
Weatherspoon here
and a Terry Mills
there would bring
him closer to a
championship.
After two
consecutive
first-round
playoff exits,
minor personnel
moves no longer
seem enough to
propel this team
to the NBA
Finals.
Signing a marquee
free agent is not
an option, unless
it's through a
sign-and-trade
scenario. The
Heat very likely
will be over next
year's salary cap
(which has not
been set), and
will have just
two cap
exceptions ($2
million and $1.1
million).
In order to
upgrade
significantly at small forward or shooting guard, Riley
likely will need to trade at least one of his core players
other than Alonzo Mourning. And P.J. Brown seems like the
most logical option, because he could net the most in
return.
Tim Hardaway would be difficult to trade because he will
be 33 in September, is coming off a poor playoff
performance and has just one year left on his contract.
The Heat probably could not get market value in return for
Hardaway, and would have trouble finding a replacement as
good or better.
There's no indication Seattle would consider trading Gary
Payton or Washington would part with Rod Strickland. Even
so, it would take more than Hardaway to land either. So
those options would be long shots.
The best free-agent point guard on the market is Terrell
Brandon, but acquiring him would require a sign-and-trade
with Minnesota, whose owner previously indicated a
preference for Brandon over Hardaway.
Denver's Nick Van Exel, Philadelphia's Eric Snow and the
Lakers' Derek Fisher -- the only other starting-caliber
point guards on the free-agent market -- are not on
Hardaway's level. The Celtics would gladly trade Kenny
Anderson, but he would be a step down from Hardaway.
Atlanta could shake up its roster if it loses to the
Knicks, but Mookie Blaylock isn't on Hardaway's level
offensively.
Brown's defense would be difficult to replace, but trading
him is the best chance Miami has to acquire a high-caliber
shooting guard or small forward.
NBA teams crave frontcourt players with rebounding and
defensive skills, and Brown (11.4 points, 48 percent
shooting) is also coming off his best offensive season
with the Heat. Plus, Brown is young (29) and a bargain by
today's standards, with four years left on a seven-year,
$36 million deal.
In February, Vancouver offered this year's No. 1 draft
pick for Brown, but the Heat declined. (The Grizzlies'
pick will be determined in Saturday's draft lottery.)
Riley could have traded Brown to Golden State for Latrell
Sprewell in January, then signed ex-Heat forward Kurt
Thomas (who said he wanted to return) with Miami's $1.75
million exception. Riley instead kept Brown and used the
exception on Weatherspoon. Thomas signed with the Knicks
for $1.75 million.
Trading Brown for a scorer -- either a small forward or
shooting guard -- would mean the Heat would have to find
another power forward to supplement Weatherspoon and Mark
Strickland -- neither of whom can realistically be
projected as a full-time starter.
Veteran free-agent power forwards Charles Oakley, Otis
Thorpe, A.C. Green and Mark Bryant would be stop-gap
measures who might consider signing for one of the Heat's
exceptions. J.R. Reid, who played well for Charlotte
earlier in the year before being traded to the Lakers,
also is an intriguing free-agent option.
The Heat cannot expect to acquire a high-quality starter
for Jamal Mashburn because he is injury-prone and
maddeningly inconsistent. Mashburn has missed at least 13
games due to injury in each of the last four seasons, and
he faded in the playoffs.
One executive who has coveted Mashburn is Boston coach and
president Rick Pitino, who coached him at Kentucky.
Celtics shooting guard Ron Mercer would fill a need for
the Heat, but Mashburn would not be nearly enough to
convince Boston to make that deal.
Over the past year, Miami was unable to acquire either of
two marquee shooting guards (Mitch Richmond or Sprewell)
who were destined to be dealt. At the moment, there is no
top shooting guard or small forward in the league who
seems certain to be traded this summer.
But Miami badly needs an athletic swingman-type with
height, shooting range and the ability to penetrate and
create his own shot. Among the situations potentially
worth pursuing:
+ Portland: The Blazers have two starting-caliber shooting
guards in Isaiah Rider and Jimmy Jackson and are said to
be growing weary of Rider's frequent tardiness to
practice. The Blazers would not need Brown, because they
already have two top power forwards in Brian Grant and
Rasheed Wallace.
+ Lakers: Forward/guard Glen Rice has one year left on his
contract, although the Lakers can terminate his deal after
this season and give him a more lucrative, multiyear
contract. If the Lakers advance deep in the playoffs,
there's no reason to think Rice will be dealt.
But if Los Angeles is eliminated -- and Rice struggles --
the Lakers might consider trading him to fill its biggest
needs (power forward and point guard). Brown would help
the Lakers, and the Heat would undoubtedly have interest
in Rice.
+ Washington: Richmond will be a free agent, and the
Wizards probably would consider sign-and-trade scenarios.
But Richmond will be 34 and his numbers declined this
season (19.7 ppg, 41.2 percent shooting). He would love to
play in South Florida -- where he has a home -- but would
Riley be willing to trade starting-caliber players for
Richmond and give him a large multiyear contract?
+ Detroit: The Heat was interested in adding guard Jerry
Stackhouse in January through a sign-and-trade, but the
Pistons were not. Stackhouse (14.5 ppg, 37.1 percent
shooting) is more athletic than any of the Heat's guards,
but also erratic. With Joe Dumars retiring, the Pistons
probably need Stackhouse.
+ Orlando: Guard Penny Hardaway can become a free agent,
but the Heat does not have the cap space to sign him and
would need to trade two or three starters to execute a
sign-and-trade with Orlando to acquire him. That would be
a long shot, especially because of the Heat-Magic rivalry.
+ New York: Sprewell's agent has said his client will ask
for a trade if he is not a starter next season. The Heat
likely would have interest, but it's difficult to envision
the Heat and Knicks making a significant trade.
Versatile Phoenix forward Cliff Robinson has attracted the
Heat's interest in the past, but he's coming off a good
year and the Suns will try to re-sign him.
Besides having the option of trading Brown, Mashburn or
Hardaway, Miami can package other players in a deal for
cap purposes (including Keith Askins, Duane Causwell,
Voshon Lenard, Strickland and Weatherspoon). The only
other player under contract is Mourning, who will make $15
million next season.
Impending free agents Dan Majerle, Terry Porter, Blue
Edwards, Terry Mills, Marty Conlon and Rex Walters cannot
be traded. The Heat can exceed the cap to re-sign Majerle,
but could not use his salary to sign someone else instead.
The Heat probably can keep Porter by offering him its $2
million exception, but Riley will have to decide whether
to use that on another player.
If the Heat cannot re-sign Porter or trade for a backup
point guard, free-agent options include Tony Delk, Muggsy
Bogues, Darrick Martin, Rick Brunson, Robert Pack, Toby
Bailey and ex-Heat guards John Crotty, Gary Grant and
Brian Shaw.
Riley also must decide what to do with Strickland, who
showed such promise last year and was rewarded with a
three-year, $6.8 million contract. Strickland played only
sporadically in the regular season and did not play a
significant minute in the playoffs.
Copyright 1999 Miami Herald