On the Beat: Miami Heat

Between a Pat and a Wade place

In this corner, standing 6 feet 4 inches from Schenectady, New York, a 5-time NBA champion, 3-time NBA coach of the Year, Hall of Fame Inductee and president of the Heat franchise ... Pat Riley.

And in the other corner, standing 6 feet 4 inches out of Robbins, Illinois, an NBA champion in 2006 and Finals MVP, reigning league scoring champion and face of the franchise ... Dwyane Wade.

If you thought the Ali-Tyson's Fight Night was the best battle of the ages to hit the street this summer, think again. Especially if this little Tit-for-Pat keeps up between Wade and Riley. The two have made what so far has been a pretty uneventful summer for the Heat plenty intriguing with this verbal sparring.

Actually, it's become a pretty one-sided ordeal since Riley went on the offensive on June 18 and said that no major roster moves could be done until he gets a commitment from Wade on an contract extension, which Wade becomes eligible to sign as early as Sunday.

Wade, feeling he's been rope-a-doped into a corner by Riley's stance, has since gone on a week-long counter-punching flurry to make sure everyone knows exactly how he feels about the Heat's perceived lack of activity in free agency and trades so far.

If you're a television, newspaper or radio journalist who hasn't heard Wade's side of the story (directly from the man himself), please step forward now. Anybody? Bueller? Nobody? OK, fine.

Riley wants to know for certain that Wade is here for the long haul before he does a major roster overhaul to get the Heat back into the title mix. Wade, who has one more guaranteed season on his contract, wants Riley to make the team a title contender now.

Who didn't see this coming?

For Riley, this was the danger of publicly making everything about 2010 for the past two seasons - almost as if the past two years didn't matter. By setting the franchise's watch on next summer, when there could be a major free-agent class of Wade, LeBron and Bosh, it has made July 1, 2010 the latest coming of Y2K.

And remember all the hype and hoopla and concern and money saving/spending that went into preparing for the world to change that day? Remember what actually happened? Nothing. Business as usual. Bueller.

For Wade, the danger of going so public with criticism of the team's direction and borderline calling out his current teammates is coming off like a player who forgot that he won it all in 2006 in this city, with this team and with this same man guiding the franchise. In that time, exactly how many titles have LeBron, Carmelo, Dwight, CP3, Amare or any of his closest NBA friends won? Again, Bueller.

The truth is Riley probably never should have publicly put this on Wade last month. And Wade shouldn't have launched his own campaign this month in response to Riley's comments.

But here we are. Between a Pat and a Wade place. Two powerful and influential men who are champions and want the best for the franchise. Wade said as much Thursday during a promotional golf event.

"We both want the same thing," Wade said. "We're just in two different positions. He has to deal with the money side of it. I have to deal with the playing side of it."

Wade also said Riley "opened up the wound" by suggestion that the only major activity this summer would be inactivity if Wade didn't extend. Egos have clashed. Each knows his success is tied to the other. 

Maybe they meet in the middle. Riley uses the mid-level exception to bring in some help now but bypasses the risky and major roster overhaul. Wade bypasses the extension this summer, reconsiders at the Feb. trade deadline and at least rules out signing with any team other than Miami next summer.

They got into this publicly. They should get out of it that way, too.

And as the clock ticks toward 12:01 Sunday morning, when that window opens for Wade to sign a three-year, $60 million contract extension, expect another Y2K moment.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Is A-I The (Heat's) Answer?

That certainly was the question Tuesday.

Had a chance to sit down with Allen Iverson for an extended interview Tuesday after his charity foundation awarded two scholarships to college-bound students from his Hampton-area hometown.

From the interview, it was easy to come to a few conclusions. Iverson, 34, wants to come to Miami and likes the idea of teaming with Dwyane Wade and playing for Pat Riley's organization. He's also willing to take a one-year contract to help push a deal through. He also accepts that his options may be limited at this stage of his career - especially after the way things went down in Detroit.

There's also another reality in play here. The Miami Heat's interest - for now - seems to be luke-warm at best, mainly because it might require the full mid-level to get Iverson, a 10-time All-Star and former league MVP who has averaged 27 points over his career.

Iverson's camp believes that if he's willing to take a one-year deal, he probably shouldn't have to accept less than the mid-level exception. Problem is, the Heat is already over the luxury tax. That means the $5.5 million Iverson might command would equate to an $11 million financial hit for the Heat.

Yes, Iverson can still get you 20 points, 5 assists and 2 steals a night. Yes, he's still a marquee attraction alongside Wade that can help fill the arena almost any night and make the Heat a national TV attraction it hasn't been since Shaq left. And yes, Iverson would likely come motivated and with his attitude in check, knowing he's on a one-year deal.

But no, he ain't worth $11 million - not if his addition alone won't make the Heat a serious title contender. Heat owner Micky Arison has been willing to pay the tax if it meant landing a starter or an impact rotation player. Iverson could be either of those things -even on an off night. So he meets the qualifications. The question is how much better would he make the Heat as the lone addition? Probably a 4th seed in the East, behind Boston, Orlando and Cleveland.

Iverson might only be the answer to the Heat's short-term needs if Pat Riley is capable of shedding another contract or two (salary) to reduce the tax hit. He's there to be had. But just how much is the Heat willing to shed to get him? Better yet, just how muc is A-I willing to give up to come?

When it comes to getting The Answer, those are the pressing questions.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Heat's In-House Approach

Somewhere, Earl Barron is seething. Then again, he might very well be celebrating.

After all, he was a summer league legend (as well as a heck of a nice guy during his Heat tenure). And this is the time of the year when the Heat normally heads up to Orlando for the Pepsi Pro Summer League and puts its rookies and young free agents on display.

Only this year, the plan has changed. Miami Heat president Pat Riley has elected to take the in-house route to development with his young roster. So instead of heading to Orlando's practice facility for the start of games there on Monday or journeying out to Las Vegas (which the Heat considered doing), the plan is to hold a few conditioning sessions this week in advance of next week's mini-camp at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Yes, Earl Barron's (pictured right) summer league records are safe. And no, this approach shouldn't be considered a setback. Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook put in too much time last season to have to go through playing in Orlando or Vegas.

And it doesn't make much sense to build a summer league roster around Pat Beverley and Robert Dozier, two second-round picks who aren't exactly locks to make the regular-season roster. So instead, the Heat's youngsters get more of what they've been doing already. And that's working extensively at the practice facility on weaknesses that were exposed last season.

From all indications, Mario Chalmers is emerging as a leader. Beasley (pictured left, in his summer league debut last year), despite missing time with an illness, is adding versatility to his skill set. James Jones is in the process of putting on 20 pounds to bulk up that wire-thin frame. Dorell Wright (Remember him?) is running, jumping and dunking again. Beverley is already impressing the staff with his relentless work ethic as the first one in the gym and the last one out.

And so on and so on.

Again, this is Earl Barron season. The time of year when there are significant helpings of hope and hype, pounds of potential and promise and workout wonders. Every team's undefeated again. Every player is a candidate for the rotation. 

There's no doubt that Heat players are getting plenty out of the offseason program. And it makes sense that what's done on Biscayne Blvd. will be far more productive than what the team could get out of a week in Orlando or Vegas.

But again, with this current roster - and with all of the movement and potential upgrades elsewhere in the East - will it be enough to make Miami a serious threat in the conference next season?

 (For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Pat on the ('09) Prowl

You really didn't think Riley was going to stand pat, did you?

The woe-is-me, wait-and-see approach isn't really his thing. It just isn't. He admitted as much during a recent meeting in his office at AmericanAirlines Arena.

No, the Heat isn't in financial position to be big spenders - or middle-class spenders, for that matter - in this summer's free agent market. But Riley's best work is often done on the recruiting trail and making moves where they don't seem to exist.

Amid several calls that have gone out the past two days to free agents have been two placed directly to Ron Artest (pictured right) and Allen Iverson. The Heat hasn't centered its focus on those two players by any stretch. An all talks are in the preliminary, exploratory, meet-and-greet stages. 

But the fact that Riley is swinging for the fences - or even bunting amid a financial squeeze - suggests two things: The Heat is being far more aggressive on the free-agent/trade front this summer than it suggested. And that could also mean another thing: That it wants to be in position to pounce on a blockbuster deal if Dwyane Wade in fact signs that extension this summer when he's eligible on July 12.

But even if Wade doesn't sign, the Heat still needs to make a move or two to upgrade a roster that relied so heavily on youth last season. Even if Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook improve, and Jermaine O'Neal and James Jones are healthy, and Wade picks up where he left off last season, the Heat might still be the No. 5 seed in the East - as is. At best.

From a check of league sources Thursday, there is certainly mutual interest between the Heat and both Iverson (pictured left) and Artest. The Heat has been after these two before. But this may be the easiest path Riley has ever had to either one of them. Both are on the open market. Iverson can come  with no strings attached - aside from a potential luxury-tax hit - if he's willing to sacrifice a couple million and a year on a contract. Artest will likely require sign-and-trade help, because Houston would be foolish to let him walk away without getting anything back.

Yes, there are still Chris Bosh dreams and Amare Stoudemire potential realities out there for Miami, which is still operating to maintain flexibility for 2010 in the event Wade doesn't extend and opts for free agency. But the Heat is active on the free-agency front, the sign-and-trade front and the improve the roster now front.

That Don't-Spend-Till-2010 mantra now seems to coincide with a Find-Something-In-2009 option.

 (For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Mid-level Happy Medium

If you think the Heat will be in a free-agency frenzy once the clock hits 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, do yourself a big favor.

Forgetaboutit.

It ain't happening, captain. Unless one of those numerous covert meetings Dwyane Wade keeps tweeting about actually included a sit-down with Pat Riley and a commitment to an extension.

Otherwise, the Heat will be ballin' on a budget. Window shopping. Riding around on a quarter tank of gas. And make no mistake, the approach will test Riley's patience.

Riley has never been one to do his spending in the opening days, weeks or even month of free agency. He takes a methodical approach. But this is one of those times when his hands are essentially tied. The pockets of his Armani suits are stuffed with I-O-Us. He can't - make that won't - make any major roster moves until Wade commits to a contract extension as early as July 12.

Wade said he looks forward to being a free agent for the first time in his career next summer, when he can max out with the Heat at six years and $120 million. Any moves Riley can make then, he should considering making now. That's Wade's thinking. Don't wait. Gravitate. 

But one happy medium between Riley and Wade could be the mid-level exception. Even if the Heat isn't willing to gamble on trading for major star power right now, would it not be wise to step out on a much smaller limb and spend the mid-level on a one or two-year deal if it lands you Iverson, Kidd or Andre Miller now? Or even a smaller-scale upgrade to the post depth, such as Chris Wilcox or Marcin Gortat?

Would that make the Heat a much better playoff contender going into next year? Yes. 

Would it show Wade a slice of the "doing-all-we-can" approach LeBron James is getting from Cleveland, even though James is also in the same contract situation as Wade? Sure.

Of course, this would mean paying a price. Perhaps a big price if it meant spending all of the mid-level this summer. That would leave the Heat, already over the luxury tax, paying twice as much for any new contract it adds to the current rolls.

So floating Kidd or Miller a $5 million deal for one season would mean a $10 million tax hit if the Heat can't shed other payroll by the Feb. trade deadline. Would Iverson or Grant Hill as an opposite wing scorer at $3 million this season and an option at $3.4 million next be worth the one-year tax hit if it improves the Heat with Wade in his prime? Absolutely.

The Heat is going to have to pay a price this offseason regardless of the course it takes if Wade doesn't sign that contract extension.

Will it be the heavily-taxed mid-level (or another of its exceptions) in an attempt to add a key piece?

Or is it going to be the cost of standing pat and possibly sliding down the standings in the East if the internal improvements of Wade's current supporting cast aren't good enough?

 (For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Will Pat Prove Pat Correct?

Don't call him Patrick Beverley.

He simply wants to be know as Pat. Furthermore, he'd like to be regarded as the Miami Heat's backup behind soon-to-be second-year starter Mario Chalmers. If not the outright starter. He has that kind of potential and confidence.

Amid all of the midnight hour draft fallout, Heat president Pat Riley made an interesting comment when he talked about his expectations for newly-acquired guard Patrick Beverley. Not only did Riles suggest that Beverley had a better-than-decent shot to make the team, he also envisions him slotted between Chalmers and Chris Quinn, presumably as the No. 2 guard on the depth chart.

Beverley now looks forward to a chance to secure a roster spot when he and fellow second-round pick Robert Dozier arrive in town next week to start offseason workouts in advance of the July 13th rookie/free agent minicamp.

The Heat's current predicament - it will enter the July 1 free agency period already over the luxury tax, but will likely have two roster spots open - certainly increases Beverley's chances. He's certainly valued.

Riley said the team rated Beverley, the 2007 SEC newcomer of the year, as high as the 20th best prospect on the team's draft board.

The Heat pursued Beverley, who spent last season playing in the Ukraine, in the same fashion it went after Chalmers in last year's draft. Both were considered first-round talent. The Heat spent much of the early stages of the draft lining itself up to take both.

Now, the competition at the point begins. I still say the Heat needs to find some kind of way to get a veteran point guard who brings playoff experience. But there seems to be a genuine enthusiasm around Beverley. I'm sure the move sort of got Chalmers' attention.

If it didn't, I'm sure these comments from Riley will.

"This guy (Beverley) will compete against anybody," said Riley, who tracked Beverley across the country during pre-draft workouts. "This guy is a bulldog that can defend, can shoot. He will disrupt. He'll do anything you need."

First, he's gotta make the team.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Let's Make a (Draft Day) Deal

This has to be eating away at Heat president Pat Riley.

The East is rebuilding and reloading around him right now, while the Heat maintains its position with a 2010 view of the landscape.

In just the past few days, Shaq has gone to Cleveland to help bolster LeBron James' front line, one that fell flat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Within the Heat's division, Washington's Gilbert Arenas is getting healthy and the Wizards just got deeper by trading for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Atlanta, the team that eliminated Miami from the playoffs, just got a bit more explosive by adding Heat headache Jamal Crawford.

The entire conference - or at least the teams that matter - all seem to be on the move. Riley has said he would speed up the team's roster overhaul, but not before he has Dwyane Wade's signature on a contract extension, which could happen as early as July 12. Otherwise, things will have to wait a year.

Although the Heat's stated goal is to avoid doing anything that would jeopardize its flexibility during the mega free agency period of 2010, there are some solid moves the team can make to improve right now.

With the NBA Draft set to start in a few hours, here are three moves I would consider making if I'm the Heat. They would make the team better next season. A few might send the team a bit deeper into the luxury tax for a year, but none of them would compromise the team's 2010 spending flexibility.

DEAL 1: Trade Dorell Wright, James Jones and the 43rd overall pick tonight (the $4.2 million trade exception)to the Clippers for Marcus Camby. (UPDATE - I stand corrected. I initially had the Heat sending its $4.2 million trade exception instead of Jones in this deal, but upon further review, such exceptions cannot be combined in a deal with another player. It has to be a separate transaction) The skinny: Camby is on a convenient contract that expires after the season. He is also still a dominant shot-blocker and rebounder who would be insurance for Jermaine O'neal. Both have had injury issues the past few seasons. Both are off the books at season's end. But Miami, for now, has absolutely nothing in the post behind O'Neal. The Clippers get to clear out room for Blake Griffin. If the Heat could find some way to ship either its $4.2 million or $800,000 trade exceptions in a side deal, it would sweeten the pot for the Clippers. It's also money the Heat probably wouldn't use otherwise. Wright gets to go home for a fresh start to a career that never materialized in Miami after he was taken with the 19th pick in 2004. Jones would be another kick-out option for Baron Davis who could also balance the floor for an improved inside attack. Plus, Jones has an option-friendly deal after next season that could be terminated with a reduced guarantee.

DEAL 2: Trade Mark Blount and Daequan Cook and the 43rd pick to Indiana for Marquis Daniels and Jarrett Jack. The skinny: The Heat gets back two playmaking-type perimeter players (Jack, a young backup PG to push Mario Chalmers. Daniels, a poor man's Josh Howard) and gives up very little aside from Cook's promise. There are contract options that make this a comfortable move for the Heat. What does it do for Indiana? Blount reunites with Jim O'Brien, the coach that got plenty out of him in Boston. Cook's shooting - Blount's, too - would be tailor made for Indiana's inside-out system. The moves would also settle the point guard logjam in Indiana and also give first-round pick Brandon Rush a chance to develop faster.

DEAL 3: This one hurts because I truly respect what Udonis Haslem means to this team. He's taken over for Zo as the heart and soul of the organization. However, trade Haslem and the 43rd pick to Memphis for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. The skinny: Again contract options on both Conley and Gasol give the Heat an out if necessary. But Conley, who could use a fresh start after a turbulent two years in Memphis, is another young guard who could challenge Mario. The Griz could also use the 43rd pick to take a point guard, move O.J. Mayo to the point or bring in a veteran with their cap space. Gasol is a skilled, big body and a banger. But if the Griz take Hasheem Thabeet at No. 2 tonight, there won't be room for Thabeet, Darko and Gasol. Haslem would give the young and promising Grizzlies the proven, rugged, veteran power forward who brings a winner's resume. This deal also opens the gates for Michael Beasley to take over in Miami at forward. Haslem has an expiring contract and could also consider coming back to his hometown team a year from now.

Pat might possibly have a lot on his plate tonight. Or, he could stand pat and maintain the patient approach, with a focus squarely on 2010.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Michael Beasley Unplugged

Plenty of good leftover nuggets on Heat forward Michael Beasley that didn't make it into today's story.

For those who many not have seen it yet, I had a chance to catch up with Beas during what has been a pretty eventful stretch as he prepares for his second NBA season. He's going through a position change on the court and a transformation off it, with the birth of his daughter last month.

Anyway, here's more Beasley fodder - uncut - for you to digest.

(On his conditioning program ...) "I'm just staying in shape. The first part of the summer for me is more screen work and ball-handling. I'm just getting my wind back where I can go hard for 48 minutes, running up and down and playing five on five. Trying to gain weight, it's hard to do. It's tough, because gaining weight and trying to stay mobile - it's hard. Especially because I've been sick recently."

(Sick? What happened?) "It's flu-like symptoms, but I'm getting better now. It stopped me from working out for a couple of days. It wasn't as bad as the last time (Beasley said he lost about 10 pounds in three days during the season. He said at the time, that he caught the flu from his dog, remember?). But it was bad. I couldn't get out of bed to work out. But it was just a summer-time cold. I'm going to get my weight up and stay in the gym. That's the main focus, just trying to get back and keep my quickness because you can't play on the perimeter at such a high weight."

(Pat Riley said you'll be a 3-4 hybrid next season) "I'm just going to be a basketball player. It's a lot of different players who can play the 5, 4, 3, 2 and the 1. LeBron James, D. Wade, it doesn't matter what they play. They do it all. They play basketball. I don't think great players really have a position. I just want to do whatever I need to do to stay on the floor."

(Looking back, what's the biggest adjustment you had to make to the NBA) "That's a tough question. The biggest thing for me, looking back, was getting your mind and body right. Just to continue to perfect the things you already know. But flying at 3 and 4 in the morning, and then having to play the next day, if you're mind isn't there, you're not mentally right, you can't perform the way you want. To get through the draft, just handle the limelight. Because it will be a lot more at this level. But you have to expect the unexpected. You have to always be ready for things you don't really see."

(How are you adjusting to fatherhood?) "Mikaiya, she's a month old now and she's already 14 pounds and 25 inches long. She already has the shoe size of a 1-year-old. How do I know this? Because she's already got more shoes than I have. Every shoe I get (He has an Adidas contract), I make sure she gets some, too. But she's got Nike, Adidas, Levi - all of them. Her wardrobe is mean, too. Already. I'm trying not to spoil her. I just can't help it."

(You have consultants, but you haven't had an agent in a year. Have speculation and trade rumors forced you to think about getting an agent to represent you?) "I've reconsidered it a lot. I have. I thought about it. But I don't really have any business deals right now. My contract is not up. I don't really see the need to pay somebody to do those things for me when I don't have any of those deals right now. I don't want to spend my money like that. I talk to people I need to talk to. When the time comes, I'll get an agent."

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Quinn's In, Now What?

Heat reserve point guard Chris Quinn did the expected Tuesday and elected to pick up the $1.1 million option to return to the team next season.

No biggie there. But what on the surface appears to be a minor move does have a major impact on the Heat's salary structure and could affect plans moving forward.

Pat Riley and the Heat are now operating in new territory. Luxury tax territory now that Quinn's opted in. What that means, according to Riley, is that the team officially moved about $800,000 above the league's punitive threshold for excessive payrolls. That amount was set at $71.2 million for the 2008-09 season.

Now, anything the Heat does from a financial perspective will cost twice as much. So if Miami truly was about $300,000 below the tax before Quinn opted in, it is now about $1.6 million in luxury territory.

The Heat expected to be here. But where it goes from here is the bigger question. The team now has two point guards committed to next season in Quinn and second-year player Mario Chalmers. Is that enough to get Miami through another season?

That answer was revealed during the playoff series loss to Atlanta. But Riley also has said he would be reluctant to spend the team's mid-level exception to acquire help at point guard. That is unless Dwyane Wade elects to extend his contract next month to put a rush job on the roster renovation plans.

But as it stands now, the Heat will have the same point guard depth issues that it had last season. I asked Riley the other day if he would be willing to go after Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Jamaal Tinsley or any of the more proven point guards who will be available this offseason.

This was his answer: "We have a mid-level, and anybody I want is going to want more than the mid-level. I don't think that there's anybody on that list that's a perfect fit for us, for what it's going to cost. We can't afford to spend right now. I'm not saying we won't. But you have to have an out."

Chalmers may very well take his game to another level next season. By all accounts, the staff has been pleased with his offseason progress. But beyond that, there's Quinn. Between now and the start of the season, the point of the problem will continue to be the problem at the point.

Riley says the Heat needs an out (a way to get out of the deal in time for 2010, because the mid-level must be spent on a two-year contract) if it were to go after help at the point.

But for now, the Heat is largely out of options because it is officially out of below-the-tax money.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Between Riley and Reality

Pat Riley didn't sugarcoat things on Thursday.

He wants nothing more than to see Dwyane Wade return his affection - this summer. He wants nothing more than for Wade to receive the paperwork on that contract extension on July 12 and fax it right back to AmericanAirlines Arena with his signature.

But Riley is also aware of the reality. And frankly, for as much as Dwyane Wade wants to retire as a member of the Heat, the better business decision is for him to delay his commitment (paperwork, at least) until next offseason.

Wade becomes a free agent on July 1, 2010. He could bypass that process and extend his contract as early as July 12, 2009. That leaves him about three weeks away from having to make a sensitive call.

The truth of the matter is that Wade won't necessarily hurt Pat Riley's feelings if he passes up extending his contract this season and waiting until next summer. Riley has already braced himself for that reality.

That's why the message from Riley out of the executive glass tower on Thursday was this: His hands are tied until the official commitment comes from Wade. 

What that means is this: Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Beasley, Udonis Haslem or any other meaningful chip the team has for potential trades won't be going anywhere until the Heat is certain Wade is here for the long term.

So all you have to do to introduce yourself to the 2009-10 Heat team is brush off the program from the final two months of the 2008-09 season. The faces will be the same.

But this is not all about Wade. The Heat is in a tight spot. It's up against the tax already, with the 13 players who are under contract, who are likely to execute options or who have been extended qualifying offers. There is little wiggle room for anything - or anyone - else at this stage.

That Heat team that finished the season was good enough to win 43 games and make the playoffs. The expectation, the hope, is that the team comes back and gets to 50 victories and beyond the first round.

Riley insists he still loves the idea of what this current team can become, with a healthy Jermaine O'Neal, another dose of D. Wade in his prime and the continued development of Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook.

"I don't want to make a change for the sake of change," Riley said Thursday. "Keeping this team together just might be the answer until we get to (2010)."

Until Wade offers his autograph on either an extension this summer or a new contract next summer, this is as good as it's going to get.  

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)