<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Under the previous agreement, had Haslem been offered by another team above the expected $5.5 million average salary, the Heat would have had no recourse to match. But last week, a stipulation was adopted that would allow the Heat to match any offer for Haslem -- provided it not spend any of its $5.5 million mid-level salary-cap exception. The problem is that Jones, who holds an option for $2.6 million for next season, plans to opt out and seek a multiyear deal from the Heat working off a portion of its mid-level exception, perhaps something around three years at $10 million. "I think both he and Keyon [Dooling] will opt out," General Manager Randy Pfund said of the team's top two point guards. The only way the Heat can retain Haslem and also sign Jones, Dooling or any other free agent beyond the veterans' minimum would be for Haslem, as a two-year veteran of the team, to take the team's early-Bird exception, which would be five years at a maximum of about $33 million. Because Jones and Dooling have been with the team for only one season, they cannot avail themselves to that exception. "That will be one of the first things addressed," Pfund said Friday, with the free-agency negotiation period to open Friday. "I look at it as pretty much positive. I think it pretty much allows you to keep Udonis if you want to. And so, the scenario where somebody comes in and offers him something way above and we can't match that number is now gone."The question ultimately will come down to whether another team with cap space views Haslem as worth more than a $6.6 million average salary, able to offer a package upward of $50 million over five seasons."</div> Source
I'd say 5 years 33 million is a little too much for Haslem. However, we do have to make a good effort to resign him, something like 4 years/20-22 million would be right. It would seem like a bargain to pay him just over 5 million to get a double double. Hopefully teams don't overpay him because I really want him back. I'm still routing for the Heat to pick up Turiaf in the draft just incase Haslem departs. Even if Haslem leaves, Donyell Marshall is a double double out there who I would assume would sign for the MLE to get a 'ship with the Heat. The first priority is till to sign Haslem to a deal that fits well with him and the Heat.
In my point of view, Haslem should be higher value to the Heat than Dooling or Jones because he plays the 4 and both Dooling and Jones play PG. Wade can fill the void at PG and they can move Eddie back to SG and slot the young gun Dorrell Wright in at SF or leave EJ at SF and put him in at SG. But for Haslem's substitution all you'd have is Doleac and Laettner.
Yes,I think that he is more valuable to the team than Dooling or Jones. Jones ans Dooling can be replaced via the draft. They can draft a Nate Robinson or Kennedy Winston and move him the PG. However, Haslem is also replacable. Shareek Abdur Raheem and Donyell Marshall have both caught the Heat's interest and personaly I think that Shareef would make a huge difference on the offensive side. Having Zo as the 6 man would be great. If we re-sign Jones that would be great, but I think the Heat are going to have to make a choice between him Dooling and Haslem.
