5 upgrades the Miami Heat can make at PF this summer

2. Paul Millsap

Technically, Paul Millsap is signed through 2017-18, but he has a player option going into next season that most everyone expects him to exercise. That means that instead of assuring himself of the $21.5 million he’s due next year, he’s going to hit the open market for even more money.

Would Riley feel comfortable tying himself down financially to one 32-year-old player, with the team losing so many pieces heading into free agency?

Well, for starters, it helps that Millsap is showing zero signs of decline. If anything, he’s improving.

He’s currently setting his career high in scoring average, at 18.2 points per game, to go with 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. His VORP — 2.7 — is a higher clip than Blake Griffin’s or Kyrie Irving’s.

Millsap is simply a monster who would even help take some of the play-making load off of Waiters and Dragic. (I know, this is the second time I’ve mentioned Waiters being a member of the Heat next season despite his impending free agency. I’ll just say this: I fully expect him back.)

It’ll be tough to pull the four-time All Star out of Atlanta, but that team isn’t going to do major winning anytime soon. Perhaps Millsap sees his window for a title closing, and decides to join a team with championship* potential.

*Laugh all you want, but Miami is a top five team over the last two months. They have shown what they can do in this new drive-and-kick system, and by adding an elite player like Millsap (or the next guy on our list) to the mix, legitimate contention won’t be far out of reach.