Forget the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat have free agency on the brain.
More specifically, Pat Riley has Carmelo Anthony in his sights.
According to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst, the Heat will try, against all odds, to form a Big Four this summer:
The Miami Heat’s immediate focus remains overcoming a 2-1 NBA Finals deficit to the San Antonio Spurs, but discussions have begun within the organization about trying to grow their so-called Big Three into a Big Four, according to sources close to the situation.
Sources told ESPN.com that Heat officials and the team’s leading players have already started to explore their options for creating sufficient financial flexibility to make an ambitious run at adding New York Knicks scoring machine Carmelo Anthony this summer in free agency.
This is fun to think about, unless you’re a New York Knicks fan. Or someone who hates the Heat. Or a fan of one of the 28 other NBA teams. So it probably sucks.
Remove any loyalties from the equation, though, and it’s fun to think about. Admit it. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Melo on the same team would be awesome to watch, even if they failed miserably for some reason.
Related: It’s not going to happen.
I could lead through a labyrinth number-crunching and all that good stuff. But let’s take the shortcut instead.
Best-case scenario would have the Heat managing to renounce the rights to everyone. That includes Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen, who have player options. And Norris Cole, who has a guaranteed salary that checks in at just over $2 million. And their first-round pick. And even their Big Three—otherwise their cap holds would be astronomical.
Still with me?
Cool.
Now they have a blank slate. Each empty roster spot below the minimum—13 during the season—is worth $500,000. Since the Heat are going for a Big Four, they’ll need nine minimum placeholders totaling roughly $4.5 million. Subtract that from the projected $63.2 million salary cap and you’re left with $58.7 million. Split that equally among all four stars, and the Heat could give each of them roughly $14.7 million in the first year of their new deal.
Melo is slated to earn $23.3 million if he opts in with the Knicks next season. Think about that. There’s taking a pay cut, and then there’s TAKING A FREAKING RIDICULOUS AND UNPRECEDENTED PAY CUT. This falls under the latter. Anthony would have to accept nearly $10 million less than he can make in New York next season. And that’s the best-case scenario! Keep some combination of Cole, Andersen, Haslem and their first-round pick, and that annual figure goes waaaaaaaaay down.
Not to mention this isn’t just Melo we’re talking about. LeBron, Bosh and Wade all need to take those pay cuts too. Wade already said the other day he won’t feel obligated to take less because he’s sacrificed enough. Good luck slinging this to him, when he has $42-plus million coming over the next two years.
The Heat don’t need another star anyway. They need more role players. Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will be keepers for at least another year. Same goes for Birdman. But they need glue guys closer to their prime too, as the San Antonio Spurs have been kind enough to point out.
Heat fans can take solace in knowing this isn’t the end, though. Win or lose, Melo or no Melo, the Big Three aren’t disbanding. Not this summer—which is good. Down 3-1 in the Finals, they’re unlikely to win. And they’re even less likely to sign Melo.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
