By Jarrad Todd (jarradt .at. hotmail .dot. com)
Working on the presumption that the Chicago Bulls take Derrick Rose with the number 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, unless Miami can pry away Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets, the number 2 pick should remain exactly where it is — with the Miami Heat. The reason, Michael Beasley is a franchise player.
If I were a Miami Heat fan right now I would be getting a little concerned with Pat Riley’s itchy trigger finger. Sure, he wants to get the best deal for the Miami Heat right now, but shouldn’t he be looking towards the long term future of the franchise?
From the comments made by Riley in the wake of the draft lottery and subsequent reports, it is quite obvious that Miami will shop the number 2 pick in the draft, for either a) talented veterans (ex. Elton Brand) or b) other prospects (ex. O.J. Mayo).
If I were a Heat fan, the prospect of teaming Dwayne Wade with Michael Beasley would give me goose bumps. The inside/outside combination this pairing could offer would be a tremendous building block for the franchise and give them something to build around for years to come.
Let’s remember, Michael Beasley just posted one of the most remarkable freshman years in the history of College Basketball. Both his point and rebound averages were better than Kevin Durant’s during his impressive 2007 campaign (on a per minute basis). Beasley possesses an NBA ready body (á la Al Horford in last year’s draft) and will eventually become a 20-10 player in the league.
At the age of 25, Dwayne Wade has already won an NBA championship (and Finals MVP) and despite a recent run of injuries, should be an Allstar for the next 6-7 years.
There is no doubt that Pat Riley is looking across at the Boston Celtics and dreaming of what his Miami Heat could achieve next year if he gets busy this off-season. As discussed, if he dealt the number 2 pick (with Udonis Haslem and parts) to the Clippers in a sign and trade for Elton Brand, a trio of Wade/Marion/Brand would definitely contend in the East next year. However, this would be contingent upon him finding and signing a cast of role players to compliment the ‘big 3’, otherwise their quest for another title would ultimately fall short. As it stands, the current players on the Heat roster not named Wade/Marion/Haslem, are average at best and resemble a D-league team.
There are some crucial differences between this year’s Boston and potentially next year’s Miami. After the trades for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, Boston had two young talented players remaining on their roster (Rondo/Perkins) to blend with the big 3, and of course there is Kevin Garnett, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and almost MVP. Elton Brand is a quality player and an Allstar but he is no Kevin Garnett by any stretch of the imagination. He also is coming of a year on the sidelines with Achilles surgery, making him a risky prospect going forward.
Look, if Miami kept Beasley and traded Udonis Haslem for T.J. Ford of Toronto (the salaries almost match), they could have a line-up next year of Ford/Wade/Marion/Beasley. In the East, this combination will get you to the playoffs and may even make some noise in the process. But the key element here is that it would give you a young, super-quick line-up with the potential for greatness down the road. Also, by retaining Marion for the 08/09 season and thus allowing his $17.2m salary to come off the books at the end of the year, they would also have a ton of money to shop for a younger third option to compliment Wade/Beasley.
If they do trade the pick Miami would contend in the east for the next couple of years, but in 2010 when Wade can opt out of his current deal, who would he prefer his team mates to be? An aging (and expensive) pairing of Brand and Marion, or Michael Beasley (and potentially other young pieces) coming into their prime?
This is the key issue because it seems to be at the heart of the decision as to whether or not they should trade the number 2 pick. Personally, if I was Dwayne Wade, I’d rather know that the best is yet to come as opposed to the best is in the past.
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