As the "fantasy land" of a potential Dwyane Wade-LeBron James partnership next summer begins to settle a wee bit for now, there very well could be other blockbuster unions available for the Heat.
That said, there aren't many that would be worth sacrificing Miami's spending flexibility in the free-agency market that opens July 1, 2010. While James-Wade in the MIA might be a lot of fun to think about, it still seems to be a bit far fetched.
Not saying it can't or won't happen. Just saying.
Meanwhile, there's a meltdown-soon-to-turn-fire-sale going on out west with Golden State. Stephen Jackson has demanded a trade. Monta Ellis wants in one week and out the next and is no longer hiding his disdain for coach Don Nelson.
There's a mess in Memphis, where the Grizzlies lack of chemistry and leadership existed long before Hurricane Iverson blew through the franchise and wrecked shop less than a month into the season. Now, Zach Randolph is addressing a lack of leadership. O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay, who will be a free agent, are barking at one another on the bench. At other times, they aren't talking at all.
Still, none of those situations are worth sacrificing Miami's flexibility next season to make a move this season. But there is a place that might prove ripe for the pilfering: New Orleans.
The Hornets are two seasons removed from being the league's most dangerous up-and-coming contender. Now, after a disappointing drop-off last season and a poor start this season, they've fired coach Byron Scott. That move was made without consulting star guard and face-of-the-franchise Chris Paul.
Paul's frustration dates to last season when the franchise botched the Tyson Chandler-to-Oklahoma City trade. On top of that, Paul and fellow Hornets All-Star David West don't seem to be on the same page.
So here's the deal. If Paul is not long for New Orleans, a team that always seems to be in the cost-cutting business and has had revenue-generating issues for years, might he be available despite recently signing a lucrative contract extension?
If Paul (pictured below left playing with Wade's son, Zaire, at a recent Summer Groove) wants out - and New Orleans wants a fresh start and to get from under the remaining three years and roughly $50 million left on his contract - the Heat should do all it can to get in on the process.
Heat owner Micky Arison was adamant this week when he said too much talk has been focused on Miami's plans for the summer of 2010 when potential moves might be available far sooner. A realistic shot to get CP3 now would be worth sacrificing a potential pipe dream pursuit of LeBron.
The questions are: What might it take to pry Paul from New Orleans. Or better yet, what are the Heat willing to give up to get him. To get any star of that magnitude, you have to have a combination of expiring contracts, young talent and draft picks.
Check. Check. And check for the Heat. Between $40 million in expiring contracts, a handful of young and inexpensive prospects and draft picks, the Heat has more chips than Lays right about now. While I think dreaming up blockbuster trades is mainly a waste of time, there does come a time when one makes sense. So try this one on for size.
Heat gets: Chris Paul and Darius Songaila.
Hornets get: Quentin Richardson, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Miami's 1st-round pick in 2010 and the Heat's $4.2 million trade exception from the Toronto trade.
The skinny is this. Paul earns about $13-14 million this season. The combined salaries of Richardson (expiring $9), Beasley ($5 in second year of rookie contract) and Chalmers ($800K, in second year of three-year deal) would fit within the salary-matching structure for Paul.
But chances are, New Orleans would want more, which is where the first-round pick comes in. Miami has two: Its own as well as the one that would come from Toronto should the Raptors make the playoffs this season. And New Orleans might also want to dump Songaila's contract ($4.5 this year, with a player option next season). The Heat could send over that $4.2 million trade exception in a seperate transaction.
This deal might work because it would be equally rewarding and painful for both teams. New Orleans can develop Beasley in a frontcourt with West and Emeka Okafor. Richardson's contract would come off the books after the season. And Chalmers could develop a nice 1-2 combo at point guard with rookie draft pick Darren Collison. The first-round pick is what it is. And the $4.2 trade exception (which can be used or not) gets the Hornets out of Songaila's two-year deal.
The Heat gets a legitimate point guard to pair with Wade for the long haul. And it would be the sort of bold move that also would get Wade's signature on that extension before he ever hits the free-agent market in July. And still, the Heat could be in position to target a major free agent from that high-profile class.
Much is made of the deep friendship Wade has with LeBron. But Wade seems to be just as fond of his relationship with Paul. As a matter of fact, he's spent more time with Paul over the last two offseasons than he has with any of his elite pals in the league.
Paul was among the first to volunteer his summer to play in those pick-up games with Wade in Chicago as he was preparing to get his body right for that Beijing Olympic run. Wade sat courtside at a Hornets game a year ago during a rehab stint away from the Heat. Wade and Paul (pictured right in China during the 2008 Olympics) have been in one another's hometown to help with the other's charity functions.
And it was Wade's mom and Paul's parents who sat courtside together at a Heat game last season trading playful barbs as their sons were battling on the court. So as fun as it might be to imagine Wade and LeBron in Miami, an MV3-CP3 backcourt wouldn't be a bad jackpot consolation prize. The only issue would be that Paul would have to find a new nickname and jersey number.
No. 3 is already taken. The question now is how much longer before Paul is up for grabs?
(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)
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