The Miami Heat have involved themselves in a three-team trade that saw a lot of shifting happening between players. ESPN.com confirms the Boston Celtics have traded Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the Golden State Warriors while the Heat receiver Toney Douglas and send Joel Anthony and two draft picks to Boston. That leaves the defending champs without a big man and money to spend.
Joel Anthony had trade rumors circulating around him for much of the offseason. The Heat viewed the center as expendable, but decided to trade away Mike Miller instead. Anthony has played in just 12 games this season, averaging 3.1 minutes and basically not doing anything during that time. With the signings of both Michael Beasley and Greg Oden, it was only a matter of time before the Heat said goodbye to their long-time center.
Parting with Anthony saves Miami $7.7 in salary and luxury tax this season and it also frees up the $3.8 million Anthony would have been owed next season. In total, they bank $15 million for Anthony who essentially played a total of 37 minutes so far this season. That is certainly not a bad deal.
So what does Miami do now? Sure the team could bank the cash and continue on with their current roster and hope that is enough to get the team a third-straight championship. Or the Heat could use that extra cash and sign one more big man, something they have been looking to do in order to beat the Indiana Pacers. Signing Oden and Beasley were used to help their frontcourt presence, but the Heat have been keeping their eye on other players.
Andrew Bynum could be the likely target for the team. Bynum has been sitting on the market since getting released from the Chicago Bulls and traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was expected that he would get picked up quickly, but so far no team has committed to him.
ESPN.com reports that the Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder have all backed off their original interest due to Bynum's salary demands. Most teams are likely only willing to sign the two-time NBA champion to the veteran's minimum thanks to his off-the-court behavior and troublesome needs and Bynum believes he is worth more. He wants something more than the $6 million he lost when Chicago waived him.
Bynum picked up his game this season after missing all of the 2012 year. He was averaging 8.4 points during 20.0 minutes per game while putting up 5.3 rebounds. The Miami Heat were considered the frontrunners to land the center, so could the extra cash make the signing official?
The Heat could also target a player like Lamar Odom with the extra who would most certainly sign for the veteran's minimum and not put up a fight. Odom has the size and is said to be making a successful comeback into basketball. Odom is a real longshot here. Bynum is ready to play now and could be motivated in the right situation. The Heat already have enough "projects" on their hands, so taking on Odom is the wrong fit.
