Miami Heat: Three things to consider regarding free agency

The Miami Heat have a lot going on this free agency period, and the fun is just about to start.

Tis the eve of July 1, and tension among Heat Nation is running high.

Between countless arguments over whether or not Hassan Whiteside deserves to be signed to a maximum contract, the anticipation of the organization’s meeting with Kevin Durant and more, fans know there is a lot on the line for the Miami Heat.

So what can we expect over the next few days from president Pat Riley and company?

Well for starters, it appears the Heat are using forward Chris Bosh’s possible return and head coach Erik Spoelstra’s long-term success as main pitching points.

Regarding Bosh, ESPN’s Michael Wallace recently stated:

"Bosh is making progress in his recovery from recurring blood clots that have cut short each of his past two seasons, according to a source with knowledge of Bosh’s condition. Both Bosh and the Heat continue to work toward the goal of having the perennial All-Star power forward available for the start of training camp, sources said."

Obviously, this does not mean that Bosh is indeed going to come back. But it is definitely a good sign that Miami feels comfortable enough using Bosh’s contribution to the team as a selling point.

Earlier in the summer, Riley spoke out about this issue too…

"“That is the difficult thing for me in evaluating how far we’ve come and how good we are. It really can’t be answered. It can only be answered hypothetically if Chris was healthy. Then you would have a real idea, probably, about how everything would fit.”"

In terms of Spoelstra, it seems he and the organization are close to finalizing his contract extension.

Rumors are that it will be a three-year deal, which makes sense considering how well Spoelstra has thrived in South Beach thus far. And at just 45-years-old, the coach has plenty of days left in his prime, to give the team all he has.

Now when it comes to Dwyane Wade, the consensus is that although his agent alluded to the guard testing out the free agency waters, there should be nothing to be concerned about.

Yes, even despite ESPN’s Brian Windhorst’s bit about San Antonio and Dallas…

"Over the last 24, 72 hours, Dwyane’s representatives have been calling around the league to several teams. Not to every team, not to 29 teams, but to a few teams and have said to them, “Hey, Dwyane is going to be available and is going to take offers.”"

"I know San Antonio is one of the teams that’s been contacted. I know Dallas is one of the teams that’s been contacted."

At the start of his offseason, the superstar himself said:

"“I hope that everything is quiet and works out the way I want it to. But I have no control over that, as much as people might think. It’s a lot of moving parts in free agency. I’m not worried about it.”"

So we probably should not be either.

It is pretty clear that the Heat lifer wants to remain just that. And that more than likely, this new storyline is a way to remind the front office who is the face of the franchise. In other words, that before trying to re-sign Whiteside and/or land a “big whale,” Miami’s priority should be giving Wade exactly what he wants.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon supports this theory:

In terms of Whiteside, at this point it seems that he is going to decide between remaining with the Heat or signing with the Mavericks.

Ever since owner Mark Cuban followed Whiteside on Twitter, fans were worried Dallas may be in the running. And clearly they had a right to be. Although Whiteside said he wanted it to be an easy decision, he also admitted there are many factors coming into play.

"“On July 1, hopefully I’ll know. I hope it’s an easy decision to make… “It’s a toss-up. It’s a lot of things that come into it. It’s not one specific thing.”"

While there definitely are a handful of things to consider when signing a new contract, money is always a huge part of it. And in Whiteside’s case, after being overlooked so many years, you better believe he is going to want a hefty payday.

The Mavericks certainly have more flexibility when it comes to raw numbers. But technically, Miami can match those figures, just over a longer period of time. This coupled with the fact that the center seems to enjoy living in South Beach, already knows the Riley/Spoelstra system, and has become someone the team would like to build around, will hopefully be enough to convince the young buck to stick around.

must read: Miami Heat: Whiteside narrows FA decision to Miami, Dallas

Nothing regarding free agency is for certain, but you can absolutely count on the next few days being both horribly nerve-wracking and wonderfully exciting. Let the chaos begin.