Nothing's changed. It's simple, really. Pat Riley has to be Pat Riley one final time. He has to get the Heat out of the gamble he's got them into. He has to get Dwyane Wade an elite running mate probably to get Wade at all. All you need to know about the past few days of long meetings, big sales jobs and nonstop stories came Saturday when Wade rolled down his car window for another of those drive-by interviews outside his agent's office in Chicago. Wade said what he said last summer, last winter, last month, last week and, maybe, for the last time. "I understand that if myself and another player [sign together], and we have some good players around, we'll be good," Wade said. Could he be any more direct? Could he spell it out for Riley, once again, any more clearly even with the threat of the Chicago Bulls looming? By now, it's obvious that any help won't do. Wade doesn't want Amare Stoudemire, whom the Heat nearly grabbed at the February trade deadline according to a source, or Carlos Boozer, who would love to play in Miami. He doesn't want Brendan Haywood or David Lee as primary help. He could have had any of those players lining up beside him by now. Dirk Nowitzki's size and game would be a perfect complement to Wade, except Nowitzki is 32 and seemingly married to Dallas. Wade's decision hinges on Chris Bosh or LeBron James coming to the Heat. At the very least, it hinges on them not lining up together in Cleveland or Chicago to form the kind of dynasty Riley talked about here. And Wade wants to join. So the story isn't Wade. It's Riley, just as it always has been with the Heat. He's 65. This is the final big play of his grand career. The Heat needs Ted Williams hitting a home run in his last at-bat right now, not Willie Mays stumbling at home plate with the Mets. The tough question remains just what Riley can throw down on the recruiting table besides his seven championship rings. That says a lot. But listen to how the sales pitches must have gone from teams to Wade, James and Bosh. From Chicago General Manager John Paxson: "If you come here, we have Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and our plan is to team you with either LeBron or Bosh. Maybe all of you, if you're on board. That's a championship team. And it's in your hometown." From New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov: "We have point guard Devin Harris, 7-foot Brooke Lopez, the No. 3 pick in the draft, 6-10 Derrick Favors. That's a good point guard and two good big men. And we'll get another great around. And I'll make you an international name." From Riley: "Trust me." Oh, Wade can get $30 million more from the Heat as things stand. That's nothing to brush off. But if he does decide on Chicago, he could get that money back in a sign-and-trade that could bring Rose to the Heat. Wade, no doubt, has been recruiting Bosh and James to join him. But how hard can he push if they look at the roster? What can he really show them other than Riley's championship rings and promise to build like he has built before? Let's be fair: Riley has been making moves on the defensive, biding his time and dollars for this moment, since he brought the team a title in 2006. The Heat's drafts have been empty wells. The free-agent hopes have yielded nothing. Riley still has the tangible ring of that 2006 team. It's a better architectural portfolio than any other builder in the competition. And so when he says, "Trust me," it's not an empty promise. It's just up to him to sell it hard enough to James or Bosh. That's what Wade needs. It's about Riley, at 65, making the final big play of one of the great careers in basketball. This isn't about Riley's legacy. His legacy is secure in the same manner Michael Jordan's even when he failed in Washington. But, again, he doesn't want to go down like Willie at home plate or John Unitas in San Diego. He doesn't want to go out like Jimmy Johnson or Dan Marino in Jacksonville, for that matter. Who wants him to go out like that, either? He's meant too much to the Heat. He's been so big in the South Florida sports scene. And the Heat would be years in the rebuilding if Wade goes elsewhere. So much has happened in the last few days with Wade and the free agents. But nothing's happened, too. Wade said as much Saturday. He wants Riley to get him some help. He's waiting for the answer, the same as all of us. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/other/fl-hyde-miami-heat-0704-2-20100703,0,5073674.story
I thought it was a good, enlighting article until he hinted that Wade could get his extra $30 million with a sign and trade that brought back Rose to Miami. No way in hell are the Bulls doing that. Rose is an all-star still on his rookie contract. How would trading Rose for Wade improve the team? It wouldn't a hell of a lot and it wouldn't long term. I dont think Wade would want Rose traded either if he decides on us.
Of course he doesnt want Rose traded. Rose is apart of the pitch to the FAs. Look at him, like you said, an All-Star on his rookie contract that can help relieve pressure and take over games at the end. But Bulls management wont trade the #1 overall pick this time around like they did Brand.
