The Miami Heat enter the offseason with many needs. One of their biggest just so happens to be at the point guard position.
While they could use a point guard, in general, it would be a massive help if that guy were also a three-level scorer, capable of getting a bucket near the rim, in the mid-range, and from deep. While there are guys out there that fit the bill and while a few of them have been mentioned before, there may be another guy getting ready to make himself available.
On the heels of an NBA Finals loss and reportedly planning to do so anyway, Chris Paul may look to opt-out of the remaining $44 million dollars in his deal to seek a longer term pact. Here is an exact summary of the scenario from Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.
The Miami Heat have a need at the point guard position, but Chris Paul just wouldn’t be a fit for them and that’s if he chose to leave Phoenix.
"Paul has a $44.4 million player option, which according to several sources, he intends to decline with hopes of inking a new multiyear deal (perhaps in the $100 million range over three seasons). It’s unclear if his recent shoulder injury changes his plans. Gordon Hayward, who has battled more severe injuries than Paul, made a similar decision this past offseason, opting out of his final year with the Boston Celtics to sign a four-year, $120 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets."
With that knowledge and the fact that he might not be as inclined to stay in Phoenix now, after a Suns NBA Finals loss, should the Miami Heat have interest? Should they get in on the veteran floor general if he opts out in search of longer yearly security?
The answer is no. While Chris Paul still has something to offer a championship team, the money he is due now is a pretty hard pill to swallow and even for a guy that just finished a season like his, nonetheless, however much more money he’ll likely want after such a run.
There is also this. Chris Paul wasn’t his sharpest in the Finals series coming down the stretch in several games.
In the Final games of the series and in the closing crucial moments, Chris Paul had inexplicable turnovers that, though may have not cost his team the game, cost them opportunities to pull themselves back in it. One series doesn’t erase a total career of excellence and accolades though, so this isn’t that.
However, it’s a highlighter across the fact that with all else the Miami Heat need or want to do as a team and the money that Chris Paul may want, it isn’t the best deal for them. That’s all, but he’ll get his money from somewhere, trust and believe it.