It has been a busy summer for the Miami Heat, who have already welcomed four new players to the roster. But is there possible room for an old rival on South Beach?
Former Chicago Bull Carlos Boozer remains unsigned and has had an affinity for joining the Heat, as he makes his home in South Florida. But could the interest be mutual? The Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman was posed this question in his Q & A feature:
"“Q: Is Carlos Boozer still out there for the Heat? He could be a bench scorer or a backup big man. — Webb.A: You mean like the Lakers thought he would be last season? There generally is a reason a player lasts deep into free agency. I’m just not sure what Boozer has left. Now, if you’re talking the minimum, then I could see possible Heat interest if the power rotation (Chris Andersen, Josh McRoberts) is thinned out in the name of luxury-tax savings. The given in the equation is Boozer’s longstanding desire to spend his winters in South Florida."
That doesn’t sound good for any of you Boozer-Maniacs.
It doesn’t seem like a union is something that would be in the cards, as the Heat already are at 15-players on the roster and have a gluttony of big men. Should the Heat pull off a trade to help decrease their tax bill, then a spot should open up for the possibility. I doubt the former All-Star (yes, that really happened) would be opposed to accepting a minimum salary at this point, so there’s a chance it could be done.
The presence of Amare Stoudemire also complicates matters as they pretty much do the same thing – score; rebound; defend terribly. Stoudemire does have the advantage of being someone that can get backup minutes at center.
But can Boozer make some sense? Sure. Stoudemire’s knees can still be something of a concern and he’s a candidate to be rested on some back-to-backs in hopes of keeping him fresh for a likely playoff run. Boozer is still an effective player on offense, averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.8 minutes a game last season for the Lakers, mostly off the bench. The Heat have enough depth to keep Boozer from averaging more than 20 minutes a game, so using him in small doses can be useful. And while the Heat still have Udonis Haslem, Boozer packs more of a punch on offense.
Of course, it’s Boozer’s defense that holds him back, as he will never be confused for Draymond Green (it’s debatable he could even be confused for Gerald Green) and was often on the bench during fourth quarters for the Bulls during important games, so Haslem would have the advantage on him on those nights Stoudemire can’t go.
While the addition of Boozer could be intriguing, even with the annoyance of him screaming “AND 1”, it really isn’t a present need for the Heat.