Chances are, if you haven't locked down tickets to Heat games by now, you're probably going to be on the outside looking in.

The demand is that great. The expectations are even greater. And one thing that Dwyane Wade said a month ago, sitting at that press conference alongside new teammates Chris Bosh and LeBron James, resonates as sharply now as it did when he uttered the words on July 9.

"So thank us now," Wade said in a shout-out to the Heat's upcoming opponents this season. "Because every place is going to sell out when we come to town."

For those detractors out there, hate on the Heat all you want. But you still want to hear every word that comes out of these guys' mouths.

Rail on their egos and confidence. But your rear end will most likely be planted in a seat in front of the TV set when Miami's three dozen national TV games are broadcast. In a lot of ways, this Miami Heat team has become one of the most polarizing elements in sports and is nestled right in there with the Dallas Cowboys, Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, Mike Tyson and Brett Favre.

You either love to root against them. Or you live to root for them.

But you can't - or won't - stop watching.

That's one reason why almost every story in every NBA city across the nation written about the schedule's release yesterday was led by the date that particular team gets to either host or face the Miami Heat.

"So thank us now," reminds Wade.

I've already circled five games before the turn of the calendar year that are either "Must See" if you can get there, or "Can't Miss" if you have to settle for a seat in front of the tube. They are ranked only by when they appear on the schedule.

No. 1 - Oct. 26 at Boston: Why? Because it's the season opener alone makes this a magical event for the start of the Wade, Bosh and James administration. But add in multiple other subplots, and this becomes arguably the second-most hyped season opener in franchise history. The only other opener that's in this discussion for the Heat was its first-ever game played at the start of its 1988 season. Now, there's the battle of the Big 3s, the O'Neals' factor (Shaq and Jermaine) and the fact that Miami gets a chance to face the team that dumped Dwyane Wade out of the playoffs in the first round last season.

No. 2 - Oct. 29 vs Orlando: Anytime you get players from one team bickering publicly with the coach and general manager of another team - and those teams happen to be in the same state - you know there's a little something extra here. If the Heat-Magic matchup wasn't truly a rivalry before (Orlando has won 14 of the last 17), clearly it is now. No doubt about it. Otis Smith and Stan Van Gundy sort of called out LeBron for his decision to bolt Cleveland. LeBron and Wade let it be known that they couldn't wait to get back on the court to provide an answer. Toss in Dwight Howard's stated refusal to answer questions about the Heat, J.J. Redick's side comments last month and Jeff Van Gundy's set-them-up-to-fail praise last week, and you know there will be a winner-take-all feel to every game they play.

No. 3. - Dec. 2 at Cleveland: LeBron has tried to go the extra mile - literally, with that Akron charity Bike-a-thon event last week - to make amends with northeast Ohio for his decision to leave the Cavaliers hanging high and dry. But no amount of goodwill can erase the fact that much of the state remains scorned behind his move to Miami. Count on extra security being on hand at this one. Count on an entire arena letting loose all of the venom it can muster to voice displeasure for James. And you can also probably count on the Heat going out there and handing the inferior Cavs a 20-point beating - on the second night of a back-to-back set, no less.

No. 4 - Dec. 17 at New York: After essentially tanking two seasons and tearing their roster to shreds just for the chance to land LeBron, the Knicks welcome the player they so desperately coveted and face the team that drove a dagger into their free agency plans. Pat Riley gets the last laugh after all against the Knicks, right? It will be a media zoo when this game takes place. James and Wade have had some of their better games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Expect an Ali-Frazier type atmosphere at the Garden, although this basketball battle will hardly live up to that epic prize fight from the early 1970s. This could turn out to be one of the highest-scoring games of the 2010-11 season.

No. 5 - Dec. 25 at Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe. LeBron. Dwyane. The three best players in the game.  Enough said. Although Boston and Orlando would argue otherwise, this could very well be a preview of the 2011 NBA Finals. This is the matchup the world wants to see. The NBA truly delivers a gift on Christmas with this game. How badly did the league want to feature this game on this date? It's the second game of a two-game trip for the Heat, which plays at Phoenix two days earlier. Miami is never sent that far to play fewer than four or five games. Can Miami's star power match L.A.'s championship experience and swagger? Can the Heat's dynamic wings offset the Lakers' massive size up front?

So much intrigue. So many questions. We'll learn a  lot about this team over the first two full months of the season.

Buckle up. It's going to be a crazy ride.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Any reason why the Heat and Lakers won't meet in the 2011 Finals? Is it too late for Allen Iverson? Should  the Heat be concerned about Boston after the addition of yet another washed-up O'Neal? Will Dwyane Wade beat out LeBron James and Chris Bosh to win the Finals MVP?

Just a sample of another week of remarkable questions from you guys regarding the new-look Heat. It no longer amazes me the level of national and international interest this team has generated. The questions to our Heat's weekly Q&A are coming from all over the globe.

Keep them coming, and I'll keep addressing them - if not outright answering them. Either way, we're both along for what could be a wild and crazy thrill ride this season.

Here's a preview of this week's Q&A entry, which just wrapped up a few minutes ago ...

Most Recently Answered Questions

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/qna/forum/heat_chat/index.html#ixzz0vkvlFifP

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Fourteen down. One to go. Why not do a reality show?

Is there any other way this offseason for the Miami Heat can grow any more outstanding - or outlandish? With 14 guaranteed contracts on the books, one short of the limit NBA teams can carry into the season, wouldn't it be cool in this reality TV-crazed society if the Heat hosted the ultimate show for its final roster spot?

I can't even take credit for the idea. It came from one of the hundreds of emails and questions that have found the email in-box in recent weeks. I laughed it off immediately.

And then, I thought. Hmm. It's not as if the Heat can do anything to further tick off anyone outside of Miami at this point. That limit has been reached. And it's not as if LeBron, Bosh and D-Wade would object to the idea. They'd embrace sitting at the table and scouting the talent in Simon, Randy and Paula fashion.

And there's only one man walking around these days who's trumped The Donald when it comes to Big Boss Man swagger this offseason: Patrick J. Riley.

And it isn't as if the TV cameras haven't been already following Bosh, LeBron and Dwyane around all summer anyway - with speculation of some end-all, be-all documentary ultimately taking shape.

The Heat has done big and bold things all summer, from bringing together the top three free agents on the market, to rolling them out like rock stars in that hyped-up press conference to dismissing its sales department after season tickets were sold out.

 So why not end the summer with a bang. Go HBO Hard Knocks style?

 Set up a week-long minicamp. Invite Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Jerry Stackhouse, Penny Hardaway, Rubin Patterson, Larry Hughes, Darius Miles, Earl Barron, Mikki Moore, Kwame Brown, some second-round draft picks and whoever else is out there to Miami.

It's not as if South Beach can't make room for one more ex-star-studded reality show?

Let's get these former All-Stars, comeback-minded veterans and well-beyond-their prime ballers in one gym and put them on the court with Pat Beverley, Kenny Hasbrouck, DeSean Butler, Jarvis Varnado and Garret Siler (members of the Heat's summer league team).

The last man standing gets a guaranteed contract.

Hold the workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena and open it up to the public free of charge. Donate concession sales to the Summer Groove charities. Donate a portion of the TV rights to Haiti relief.

Is there a better way to decide the 15th and final spot on the Heat's roster? Is there a more fitting way to  end the offseason for Miami and prepare for the circus that training camp is going to be from a media standpoint?

Don't think so.

Considering how this season might play out for the Heat, just ask yourself this: Would you rather be the sixth man with the Sacramento Kings or the 15th man on Miami's roster?

Thought so.

Now get ESPN, HBO, Showtime or BET on the line.

Of course, it will never happen. But how crazy would that be?

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Eddie's back again. No, not Eddie Jones. Been there, done that. And did it again.

This time, it's Eddie House's turn for a Heat reunion. House agreed with the Heat Thursday on a two-year deal worth the veterans' minimum. The deal is worth a total of $2.8 million over two seasons, with the second season at House's option.

Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed the deal just minutes before the start of our weekly Heat chat. As we do every week at this time, I try to answer your Heat questions. Or, at least try to provide an entertaining way to waste your time as we search for the answers.

Here's another sample of the hot questions this week...

Most Recently Answered Questions

Chris Bosh repeatedly made it a point during his transition to the Miami Heat to publicly thank fans, former teammates and executives on his way out of Toronto.

Although it had long been clear that Bosh was the most likely of the major free agents to jump ship and leave his franchise, there at least seemed to be a willingness from Bosh and the Raptors front office to work together on a divorce that would satisfy the needs of both sides.

Still, all along, there seemed to be a disconnect between what was said publicly between Bosh and Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo and what actually was felt behind closed doors.

Apparently, those doors have blown open now. And if Bosh and LeBron James share anything in common beyond their move to the Heat and the championship aspirations and criticism that came with it, it's the backlash from the front-offices of their former teams.

The Toronto Sun reported in Tuesday's editions some rather scathing comments from Colangelo, who headed down a similar path Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert took in questioning LeBron's competitiveness at the end of the season.

According to quotes taken from Colangelo's interview with a local sports talk show, the Sun reported that Colangelo not only took slightly-veiled shots at Bosh's recovery from injuries, but also his desire to mesh with the pieces the Raptors tried to place around him in recent years.

Bosh had been dealing with a number of nagging injuries over the second half of the season.

"Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI, he felt like he needed to sit for six more games ... I’m not even questioning Chris’ injury. I’m telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn’t there and he chose not to play,” Colangelo said.

“The fact that our season was spiraling downward and we were hoping he’d come back sooner and we were also dealing with a few other things at that point ... we were really struggling there.”

At that point, the Raptors were in the midst of tumbling from fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff  race to completely out of the postseason picture. Bosh also sustained a facial fracture in the final days of the regular season that knocked him out of the remaining games.

“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy. I think everybody saw that, but no one wanted to acknowledge it,” Colangelo said.

Now, apparently, no one is willing to hold back.

“I never felt we were quite in the game (in terms of signing Bosh to a new contract). There was too much out there, too much built up for him to take an easy out here, and he decided to do that.”

If the comments are reported accurately, it's safe to say that Colangelo didn't quite go Gilbert in torching Bosh after he bolted for Miami. But Colangelo also didn't stray to far from that territory.

Repeatedly lost in all of this is the fact that Bosh, James and Wade had every right as free agents to do what they did. Still, the criticism and questioning of their character was inevitable.

Having said that, I'm not sure Bosh can be blamed for Hedo Turkoglu flaming out the moment he arrived in Toronto. And you'd have a hard time naming any other player on that roster who would clearly start on any teams that made the playoffs in the East last season.

On the flip side, I've always felt Toronto gets a bad rap from star players who seem to despise going there or playing there for any length of time. The crowd support is great, the passion for basketball is respectable and Colangelo has been daring and aggressive in trying to make things work there.

But now, there's only more fuel for the Heat's fire. As if the team didn't generate enough already with its controversially successful offseason.

If Colangelo feels that Bosh never really gave the Raptors a chance in his free agency, and didn't do enough to salvage the season down the stretch, he's got the insight and right to justify his case.

But it's also difficult to challenge Bosh on some level, considering he did push through some of those injuries and still put together a career season in his final one with the Raptors. He never publicly demanded a trade, never openly ripped his teammates and I can't remember him bashing the coaching staff or any of Colangelo's decisions that didn't necessarily work out.

Bosh quietly chose to walk away when he had the option to do so.

Apparently, that silent treatment was deafening to some in Toronto.

And now, Colangelo is speaking up for the other franchise, the other city scorned in this Heat coup.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

For those of you who pray, please send one out for Heat forward Udonis Haslem and his family.

For those of you who don't pray, now might be as good a time as ever to start.

Haslem, the Heat's heart and soul anchor, is in mourning after losing his mother, Debra, this morning to a lengthy battle with cancer. Haslem has played the past two seasons with the burden of coping with his mother's illness and the small victories and setbacks that came along with it.

Haslem on Monday issued a statement in response to his mother's passing. He also thanked many of you for the support.

"I am deeply saddened by the death of my mother, Debra, who passed away after a long battle with cancer," Haslem said Monday. "My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time."

It was clear where Haslem gained his strength, toughness and stubbornness from. All you had to do was ask him how his mother was doing. Even though they had some rough times during his upbringing, Haslem was devoted and loyal to his mother.

He first disclosed her diagnosis two seasons ago during the 2007-08 season - a time when the Heat was dealing with the devastation of what would turn into a 15-win season. Haslem was always able to keep everything in perspective, despite everything that went wrong on the court.

He would often leave practices and games the past two years and head directly to the hospital, or wherever his mother's bedside was at that particular time. She would tell him to stop worrying, that she would be fine. Hard-headed Udonis would never listen.

His disobedience and devotion to help his mother get through the highs and lows was a thing of painful beauty. I lost my Grandmother, who played a large role in raising me in Washington D.C., right around the same time Haslem was learning to cope with his mother's battle.

At last check late last season, Haslem had said his mother was looking into seeking alternative forms of treatment after another setback. She fought a strong, proud, dignified fight from every indication. She got to see  how much the Heat thought of her son when they threw a surprise birthday party for him last month going into free agency. Debra even got to see her son re-commit to the Heat in free agency, and was at peace with his decision to remain in his hometown to care for his family and close friends.

On Monday, Heat president Pat Riley also issued a statement through the team. "The Miami Heat send our heartfelt condolences and sypathies to Udonis Haslem and his family," Riley said. "We were saddened to hear that his mother, Debra, has passed. Udonis is the heart and soul of this team, and we join him in mourning his loss."

Haslem, 30, has seen so much pain and loss in his young adult life that he almost carries a numbness in his demeanor. He's tried to ignore pain on and off the court. That's what makes him, well, him, to a great degree. But there's no hiding this. There's only persevering through it - again, unfortunately. One of Haslem's older brothers, Samual Wooten, lost a battle with cancer at age 36 in 1999.

UD is tough, hard-nosed and a bit rough around the edges. But he's really one of the good guys underneath that gruff exterior. He's one of the few guys in that locker room who opens himself up through all of this to expose the person beyond the player.

So again, if you pray, don't forget to include Haslem and his family in one of them today.

And if you don't, just offer UD peace and blessings in his journey as he deals with his loss.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

You've got Heat questions. I've got answers. Or at least as close to them as possible. Or, maybe not. 

But here's a sample of the questions and answers from our weekly Heat Q&A. From Allen Iverson to Shaq. From LeBron to Pat.

Most Recently Answered Questions

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/qna/forum/heat_chat/index.html#ixzz0uR7QyE4v

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

At the end of the day, Dwyane Wade should never have gone there.

His intentions were good. His point was harmless. His delivery was awful. That about sums up this never-should-have-happened "World Trade Center" episode Wade found himself caught up in the past two days.

You know the story by now. With Twitter, Online updates, instantaneous blogs and other forms of social media at your fingertips, there was no missing this ordeal.

And that alone should have forced Wade to reconsider his words - or at least choose them more wisely - before trying to somehow connect the media coverage that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center to what could be in store should the Heat lose two or three games in a row.

Wade apologized for making that leap, taking that dive into no-man's land on Monday. The fact that Wade issued a statement apologizing for his verbal misstep probably brought more attention to the original quote than had he not issued a statement Monday to begin with. But he tried to make things right, felt something needed to be said amid the potential backlash. And he said it.

On Monday, Wade made clear that he was "trying to say that losing a few basketball games should not be compared to a real catastrophe."

The problem with all of this lies in the fact that the Heat has been a target for so much criticism and ridicule since pulling off the greatest free agency coup in NBA history, that it's created a far greater sense of self-importance than necessary for everyone involved.

If you feel "hated on" enough, you generally try to respond by lashing back. Barkley has taken shots at the Heat. Michael Jordan and Otis Smith did, too. League officials in Chicago, executives in New York, pundits in Los Angeles and an owner in Dallas all have had something controversial to say about the Heat.

I spent a week in Vegas covering the summer league. A few days in, I stopped counting how many blank stares, sarcastic scoffs and seemingly jealous remarks I heard after approaching former players, current players, coaches and team executives about Heat-related topics.

That said, Dwyane should have known better. For that matter, LeBron, too. Using his Twitter account the other night, James posted what appeared to be some rap lyrics that drew comparisons to someone being a target in the same fashion JFK was when he was assassinated.

There's no need for that nonsense. These dudes have to be smarter than this. There are going to be far more microphones and shot-taking reporters coming at these guys now than they've ever seen in their lives. No sense adding fuel to the fire by making it easier to be burned.

It's amazing how many hindsight reporting experts have come out since James uttered the words "South Beach" as his next basketball destination. I wonder how much backlash and attacks would have been lodged had he remained in Cleveland or gone to New York or Chicago.

My point is this. James, Wade and every other member of the Heat won't have to look far for motivation when the season starts. There's been enough bulletin board material the past two weeks to get them through an entire season. No need to fire back now. Save the ammo. Spare yourselves the drama.

At this point, talk is cheap - or extremely costly, depending on what you say or tweet. The next thing this team needs to do is to let its action speak on the court. There's only one problem. Training camp doesn't open for another 10 weeks. And that's plenty of time to say or tweet something stupid.

Between now and then, there's no need for any self-inflicted wounds. Unintentional or otherwise.

So don't tarnish the remarkable job you've done to come together as a Big 3. Don't blemish the unprecedented coup Pat Riley and Micky Arison pulled off to allow it to happen. Don't douse the outright frenzy among your fans with championship hopes in what was a dying basketball city.

So, for now, keep that hope alive. Even if it means having to keep mouths - and twitter accounts - closed on some matters.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Final thoughts as the Heat closed out its five-games-in-seven-days stint in the Vegas summer league ...

BANKING ON BEASLEY: Had a chance Saturday to catch up with Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis, who sees the acquisition of former Heat forward Michael Beasley as the ultimate low-risk, high-reward project.

"It didn't cost us much to get him," Rambis said. "So it was a no-brainer for us to go after him."

Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft, was dealt to the T-Wolves for two second-round picks in what amounted to a cap-clearing move that allowed the Heat to retain Udonis Haslem and bring on Mike Miller. Even the most objective observer could see that Beasley easily has more upside than either of those players. There's a good chance that when his career is done, his production will dwarf that of Miller and Haslem - possibly combined.

But Beasley just didn't fit into the Heat's plans after two seasons of issues on and off the court that led to him struggling to live up to expectations. And in the photo above, he looks just like a player who got traded to, well, Minnesota. At any rate, Rambis says Beasley is a microcosm of the T-Wolves roster. A lot of youth. Plenty of promise. Low expectations. High ceilings. And an abundance of opportunity to develop - even if the results aren't always positive in the win column.

"With his skill set, he fits in very well with the way I want to run my offense," Rambis said Saturday. "I can see him playing a couple of positions. And where he likes to score from is exactly where we like to operate, whether it's two-man basketball or individual basketball."

Off the court, Rambis said the T-Wolves are well aware of Beasley's stint last summer in the league's substance-abuse program, and the potential short leash he could be on in the face of stiffer penalties if there's another violation. But Rambis also said he believes Beasley is appreciative of this second chance to sort of rebuild his image in Minnesota.

"I talked to him a little bit, but it was the day after he had emergency root canal surgery last week," Rambis said. "So he probably wasn't in too good of a mood. We've heard about his issues in the past. But, from everybody I've talked to, there's not a mean bone in his body. Lord knows none of us want to be hammered for all of the youthful mistakes we've made in our life."

Beasley has transitioned from a veteran Heat team to a T-Wolves roster that includes 10 players who are 24 or younger. In Minnesota, Beasley will benefit from two things that were sometimes lacking for him in Miami. Patience. And Production.

In the end, it will probably be a win-win situation for both sides.

"I just see him as somebody who, like a lot of our players, needs time, needs growth, needs development, needs maturity," Rambis said. "But we have good pieces. And I see him as a very good piece to our growing group of guys."

SUMMER SCHOOL'S OUT: The Heat closed out its five-game summer league slate with a 4-1 record after Saturday's 73-69 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a game that featured little drama. With LeBron James and Dan Gilbert not in attendance, that was to be expected. That intensity and action will come when they meet in the regular season.

Still, Heat summer league coach Dave Fizdale could only think about the missed opportunity. "We were one three-pointer away from being undefeated," a smiling Fizdale said. "That would have been really nice."

The shot Fiz was referring to was the 34-foot dagger former Heat camp invitee Brian Chase nailed for Golden State to send Miami to a 72-69 setback on Wednesday.

But overall, the Heat got solid performances from Shavlik Randolph and Kenny Hasbrouck. Dexter Pittman, the massive center Miami picked in the second-round of the draft out of Texas, came up a bit small in summer league. A toe injury contributed to his struggles. Pittman has the size and skill set to be a solid big man in the league. But he still has a ways to go before he realizes that potential. The next two months are going to be crucial for Pittman in terms of his development going into training camp. But he got the most important thing accomplished this week. He signed that three-year contract.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was generally pleased with the Heat's week of summer league work.

"It was a fun group," Spoelstra said. "These guys really came to work. They were very professional and hungry. They really got after it. You could see that the work they've put in paid off. There are opportunities for these guys, even when there doesn't appear to be one. Some of these guys will break through."

AS THE ROSTER TURNS: Miami made another roster addition official on Saturday when the team announced the signing of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Big Z agreed to a two-year contract worth about $2.8 million - which equates to the veteran's minimum. The second year of Big Z's deal is at his option.

The Heat is also poised to bring back point guard Carlos Arroyo and center Jamaal Magloire on veteran minimum deals. Juwan Howard also is on the way. Those additions would bring the Heat's roster to 12 (Wade, James, Bosh, Chalmers, Miller, Haslem, Anthony, Pittman, Ilgauskas, Arroyo, Magloire, Howard). The regular-season limit is 15.

Miami will likely add another perimeter defender/shooter (In-house options are James Jones or Yakhouba Diawara). That could leave another spot or two, possibly, for development players from the summer league roster. If that's the case, Randolph, Hasbrouck or Jarvis Varnado are among the top options.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Day Six from the Las Vegas Summer League was an active one for the Heat ... way back in Miami.

The Heat officially added three more players to the roster when it announced that swingman Mike Miller, forward Joel Anthony and draft pick Dexter Pittman were signed to contracts. That brings the Heat's roster to eight players (Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Miller, Anthony and Pittman). Two more are expected on the way as soon as Saturday - center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and forward Juwan Howard.

And to think that there were league executives who doubted the Heat's ability to fill out a roster around Wade, James and Bosh. If we've all learned one thing this offseason, it's don't bet against the Heat. But some of the moves are questionable. You can certainly question whether Miller or Anthony should have received five-year deals.

Miller will be 35 when his deal is up. So will Udonis Haslem. By that time, Wade, Bosh and James would probably need an infusion of youth and athleticism on the roster as they push toward the end of their contracts. And here's the ultimate irony. Anthony could be the only player among Heat veterans to have received a raise from last season. He tripled his salary in his new deal with the Heat, which gave him a about $18 million.

Yes, $18 million for Joel Anthony. More power to him. Dude made a nice come up. The Heat apparently had to outbid a few teams with cap space to re-sign Anthony. Miami made his a $1.1 million qualifying offer last month. And the offers just kept rising from there. For this price, meet the Miami Heat's starting center.

SUMMER GROOVE ROSTER: Obtained an unofficial copy of the Summer Groove roster for Sunday's game, and some of the names might intrigue you. Aaron Afflalo, Brandon Bass, Caron Butler, Daequan Cook, Samuel Dalembert, Tim Hardaway, Mike James, Ty Lawson, Darius Miles, Alonzo Mourning, Mo Peterson, Quentin Richardson, Rajon Rondo, DaJuan Summers, CJ Watson and Dorell Wright.

Depending on how well Timmy Hardaway makes out Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena, he might jump into that long line of old-school vets angling for a vet's minimum contract with the Heat. I've said all along that Miami should simply round out its depth at point guard and center by adding Zo and Timmy to the roster. Heck, why not.

HEAT SMOKING IN VEGAS PLAY: The Heat improved to 3-1 Friday night in the Las Vegas Summer League with a 78-58 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Shavlik Randolph led Miami with 18 points, and guards Kenny Hasbrouck and Weyinmi Efejuku combined for 27 points and nine assists. Miami was without Pittman for the second straight game because of a left toe injury. But Pittman's hand was just fine - he was healthy enough to sign that three-year contract earlier in the day that pretty much guarantees his spot on the roster.

Pittman hopes to play in Saturday's summer league finale against the Cavaliers. We hear ESPN is negotiating with Pittman to do an hour-long special leading to his decision to play or not. After all, it is Heat-Cavs. And you can't have Heat-Cavs without drama.

(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.)