Nobody Knows, Just Follow the Clues & Wait: Heat Free Agency

I see the reports.

Melo Coming to Miami, via Sign-and-Trade for Wade.

Pau Gasol to the Heat.

Luol Deng Ate Seafood, Must be Headed to the Heat.

So that last one wasn’t true, but you see what I mean.

Nobody truly knows what is going on except for the players and maybe their agents. Everything else is just speculation or rumor at this point.

However, there are clues that one can look for and follow to at least get a sense of the more realistic outcomes that Free Agency will bring Miami.

First let’s look at the situation surrounding The Big 3.

Heading into Free Agency, there was major fear that LeBron wouldn’t even return to South Beach.

The main reason for that was LeBron wanted the Heat to bring in new players, and the only way they could do that (financially speaking) was if Wade and Bosh chose to opt-out of their contracts.

Bosh, as expected, opted-out, leaving Wade as the lone obstacle for a Free Agency spending spree.

Dwyane could have easily just said “look I won this franchise it’s first championship, I brought LeBron and Bosh here, and I did my part in the last two championship years, I’ve earned this money” and opted-in.

And then, he did the unthinkable. He actually chose to opt-out.

That is a WIN ladies and gentleman!

And they are staying in MIAMI! Why would they still be hanging out and going to weddings together or taking vacations right now instead of talking to other teams? If you hear them talking to other teams, (and I mean THEM, not “sources”), then you can panic.

Jun 20, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (left), LeBron James (center) and Chris Bosh (right) celebrate after game seven in the 2013 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena. Miami defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win the NBA Championship. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

But until then, remain calm and look at the situation.

If you asked Miami a month ago what the best case scenario would be at this point, they would have told you that the members of the Big 3 chose to opt-out.

Why?

So that they can restructure and add new talent.

But let’s not jump the gun on this one, this talent doesn’t mean that they are grabbing a single superstar (i.e. Ariza, Deng, etc) I’m talking multiple role players that can help push the Heat back to another championship.

Dan LeBatard had a great rant today on 790 the ticket (that I’m posting right below here)…

…about how agents are manipulating the media in order to get bigger offers from teams.

Don’t believe every single piece of information you here! Think WHILE you read!

At this point in time, even though people may want to get a bunch of superstars here in Miami, the case can be made that Bosh, James, and Wade are three of the four best available free agents.

That’s an accomplishment in and of itself.

Knowing that, the Heat will go find players that fit their offensive system AND make sense for them financially.

As LeBatard put it, this isn’t baseball.

Miami can’t be the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, or Los Angeles Dodgers.

They have financial limits.

But they’ll find the best players that they can afford, and with LeBron on the court he will make them better.

He will make them into the new Battier or Birdman or Rio. (Not saying Birdman/Rio are leaving, just an example).

You just have to give it some time.

By the time next week rolls around, everybody will be calm and relaxed knowing there is a championship-caliber team assembled for Miami and that Norris Cole won’t be the top player on that team(sorry Cole-Train, much love).

Patience is the name of the game.

LeBron waited 9 season for an NBA Championship, but it finally happened.

As a fan, your wait isn’t even close to that.

Since that long wait in 2010 when the Big 3 brought their talents to South Beach, the Heat gave us a historic 4 straight NBA Finals Appearances and 2 titles in back-to-back fashion.

At the very least, we can give them a week.