Russell Westbrook (Photo : Stephen Dunn / Getty Images Sport)
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Miami Heat are facing tough times and their patriarch Pat Riley will be tested once again.
After courting Kevin Durant and giving a lowball offer to superstar Dwyane Wade, the Heat is facing the possibility of losing their "Heat lifer."
A flurry of rumors have illustrated Wade as upset with the Heat and actually meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The events are being monitored by Cavs Nation which includes flight details that of Wade traveling to Cleveland (he was with LeBron James on vacation) which led to rumors and arguments.
While there is yet no confirmation of actual details, there is a growing feeling that LeBron James, despite hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy is still not satisfied with their roster. They narrowly beat a Golden State team that had them on the ropes-and now that team is adding a top 3 NBA player.
Pat Riley is not comfortable with being rejected. He did not take LeBron's exit well, and he will not take Wade's departure sitting down. For him, the best revenge is to compete and that is why he has championship rings to lay on the table.
There is another team that was scorned yesterday and that was the Oklahoma City Thunder. As the NBA becomes a two-team league with the stars assembling superteams, the two main victims could do well to help each other.
After learning from the Durant debacle, Thunder GM Sam Presti will likely trade Russell Westbrook rather than lose him like they did KD. He should also learn from the James Harden trade. Presti did the right thing in trading away The Beard simply because he wanted out and would leave eventually. He did not get much value for that trade but somehow, one of the picks turned out to be Steven Adams.
So Presti should get a good haul for Westbrook-even though he is a free agent at the end of next season. Pat Riley wouldn't flinch at that. He traded for Goran Dragic and got him to re-sign. Now Today's Fastbreak is proposing Miami to trade away Dragic for Westbrook along with the promising Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson.
In return, the Heat should get Westbrook and Andre Roberson. Westbrook is a superstar so he should get fair value, but he could leave and the Heat could actually sign him if they had cap space. In that scenario, they would have had to trade Dragic anyway-why not pick up his Bird Rights to pursue another free agent?
Even if Wade leaves, fielding a team with Russell Westbrook, Hassan Whiteside and if he returns, Chris Bosh, Miami can still challenge the Cavaliers in the East.
