<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Heat had another meeting with Shaquille O'Neal's representatives Monday in Los Angeles, and an agreement on a new deal seems imminent. The two sides met before the Heat's summer-league team played against a team from the Dallas Mavericks, with the Heat still trying to re-sign O'Neal at a reasonable number that would allow the team to surround him with talent while still staying below or just slightly above the luxury tax threshold. O'Neal can't sign a deal until July 22, at the earliest, and he still has to opt out of his current deal that is scheduled to pay him $30 million next season. The trade-off for O'Neal taking less than his scheduled $30 million could be a deal that lasts five years, which Heat president Pat Riley has said is a realistic possibility. Such a contract would keep O'Neal with the Heat until he is 38 years old. After O'Neal and the Heat come to an agreement, which could happen as early as Wednesday, the Heat can focus its attention on building a team around him. While O'Neal's negotiations have had little impact on the Heat's talks with Udonis Haslem, the team is also hopeful it can secure the power forward to a five-year deal. ''We're still in discussions, and hopefully we can make a decision fairly shortly,'' Haslem's agent, Jason Levien, said. Haslem has received interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have enough salary-cap space to offer Haslem more than the five-year, $33 million deal the Heat can extend. Haslem recently visited Disney World with his son and stopped by O'Neal's Orlando home to discuss the possibilities of playing together again in the future.</div> Source
This would be a very smart move by the Heat. They would save tons of money and be able to build a better team around him and give them a better shot at the title. 5 years is too long, but it's a risk that you have too take to win a title.
