Mike Miller came up huge from beyond the arc in the Miami Heat’s close out game against the OKC Thunder to help propel the Heat to the 2012 championship. And he did so with an ailing back. Miller’s back is so bad in fact that he is considering retirement this summer.
That leaves a hole in the Heat’s arsenal. Specifically a long range sharp shooter. And if you are talking about three point shooting, the name that is synonymous is Ray Allen. It just so happens that Ray Allen is entering into free agency this summer….
Allen had surgery almost three weeks ago to remove bone spurs in his ankle. It’s not clear what his recovery timeline is, but Allen said — within earshot of the Heat’s locker room at the end of the conference finals — that he was planning to continue his career.
According to multiple league sources, there is mutual interest between Allen and the Heat. The most the Heat can offer is a contract starting at $3 million per year, which is known as the taxpayer’s midlevel. Allen could get more money elsewhere, but the Heat offer an attractive portfolio that goes deeper than cash.
Ray Allen is certainly an upgrade over Mike Miller, and if the Heat can convince Allen to flex a little bit on the salary component of his contract, he will go a long way towards aiding the Heat’s title defense. Ray Allen is not just one dimensional however, he is also a hard nosed defender that fits in perfectly with the Heat’s schemes. And if you could identify one weakness with the Heat’s offense, it is their reliance on Wade and Lebron in a half-court set. Ray Allen solves that problem by becoming the most lethal drive and kick spot up shooter in the league.
[Source ESPN]
