Nucleus Intact (For Now)

If Heat president Pat Riley has a major trade in mind, it probably won't come until after the start of training camp.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since days after the June draft, Riley said Thursday he expects to enter training camp with the team's nucleus intact. To be certain he heard my question correctly, Riley not only repeated, but placed an emphasis on the phrase "training camp."

What that likely means is a Heat roster than includes Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley would get at least a test run to see how well that core might mesh. Otherwise, that blockbuster deal many of us in the media - and you in blognation - have been expecting might take shape.

"Anything can happen," Riley said after unveiling an Olympic banner in honor of gold-medal winning Heat guard Dwyane Wade at AmericanAirlines Arena. "But I think this nucleus probably will go into training camp."

The Heat opens camp on Sept. 27 and will travel to Europe to play two of its seven preseason games. Training camp trades aren't new for Riley. Last October, the Heat dealt Antoine Walker, Wayne Simien, Michael Doleac and a first-round pick to Minnesota for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount two weeks into training camp.

Riley also addressed a few other Heat matters Thursday.

Summing up summer free agency, a time when the Heat acquired James Jones and Yakhouba Diawara, parted with Ricky Davis, Jason Williams and Earl Barron and re-upped with Dorell Wright:

"The only player that we didn't get that we wanted was Roger Mason (who left the Wizards to sign with the Spurs after visiting the Heat). Everybody else we wanted, we got."

On finding help at center, where the Heat has worked out Lorenzen Wright, Jamaal Magloire and D.J. Mbenga in recent days but has yet to settle on anyone:

"Now, we're just trying to fortify with pieces. We still need help in the post."

Riley also said the team continues to negotiate with restricted free agent point guard Chris Quinn, who was extended a 1-year, $1 million qualifying offer earlier this summer.

Comments

[JASON LOVE]

we need to get a spark plug off the bench like Juan Dixon. James Jones will light it up off from behind the arc...but I think that a 1-2 punch off the bench would solidfy the offense! We can forget about center. But do we really need one??? Jordan had Bill Cartwright,Will Perdue,Bill Wennington,and Luc Longley. Mark Blount and Alonzo Mourning on a broken leg is better than those guys! this team will be interesting this year!

[usopp]

Trade Haslem and Banks for Milicic and Lowry

Please

[Winters]

Why not take a look at Shawn Livingston, he cant be any worse than Quinn or Chalmers, and might actually be an improvement.

[Pedro Heizer]

Hey I love your article. I don't agree with usopp.. MARIO CHALMERS is going to prive he's better than Derrick Rose! and Chris Quinn is a solid back-up! look what he did last year!

Check out www.theheatblog.com for the latest news regarding your Miami HEAT!!!

[dom]

I agree with sean livingston unless his injury is a jay williams type. He was considered a Derrick Rose if I am not mistaken. I say we take a flyer on him, and someday have a chalmers/livingston back court. Guys, if Riley went with haslem at -center, Marion, beasley, and wade, thats an awesome 4 some. We have a good team . Espn rankes us 8th in the east, Coming off a 15 win seasson, I think that is some respect. But we are going to be better. Lets go get em. We are loaded, 2 allstars, and basically the #1 pick in the draft?? thats pretty good

[ebag]

after watching wade in the olympics this year, i have no doubts about the heat putting together a good run this year. maybe, very maybe, a playoff run:

we settle for the the blount/maglore two-headed monster at center until zo comes back.

the udonis/beasley/marion forward rotation is solid.

but wade is gonna need help from that crew of jones/d.cook/d.wright/chalmers for this team to make a playoff run. it would be nice to add a vet like juan dixon, or a young point guard to pair with mario chalmers for the future. but the guards we have now are gonna have to pull their weight for this team to be good

[black the trucker]

hey, whats up guys, how about we give marion a new contract. lets look at this from a star point of view, he's good, just not 17 mil good, maybe 13, 4-year deal. call it a day. his quickness and defence to go along with Wade looks very good. besides who can you really get in return anyway. but the real question is, is he committed to playing in miami. one other thing is keep an eye on mario, he's young and we need him here. so keep him away from people who will get him in trouble. I think we can be a solid team with what we have, but its not going to be easy. lets go heat. will keep in touch.