The Miami Heat has too much pride to openly make a tanking effort, especially when they just signed Hassan Whiteside.
While they took a calculated risk to pursue Kevin Durant and eventually lost the face of their franchise, Dwyane Wade to Chicago, they are now left with a roster that's not exactly built to contend.
Other than that, they are faced with the real possibility of losing Chris Bosh due to medical reasons. This is probably a worst-case scenario for Pat Riley, but according to the Miami New Times, Riley might actually want to have the situation over and done with.
Ryan Yousefi of the MNT asked the question: "If the Heat were willing to let the best player in franchise history go because of his contract demands, what would make anyone believe the team doesn't prefers to get out from underneath the $26 million it owes to a player it not only doesn't believe it can count on finishing a season, but also is fearful could suffer a fatal injury at any moment on the court?"
According to league rules, if Bosh could not play be deemed fit to play by February 9. 2017 (one year since he last played) an independent doctor could recommend to the league if Bosh can or cannot play anymore.
If it's the latter, Yousefi called it "medical amnesty" as the Heat could take off $26 million owed to Bosh out of the cap.
In any case, it Bosh can't play, the Heat would have a dilemma at the forward spot and they would be in need of scoring. One player that's still on the block is Rudy Gay of the Sacramento Kings. In an article by Maxwell Ogden of Hoops Habit suggested that the Miami Heat trade for Gay.
"By adding Gay to a roster that already includes Dragic, Justise Winslow, and Hassan Whiteside, Miami would be relevant again. Gay can alleviate some of the burden offensively, and Erik Spoelstra is the perfect coach to motivate him on defense," Ogden reasoned.
Since the Kings publicly declared they are shopping Gay and time has elapsed, the price tag may be lower than it was a week ago. This could be the best time for the Heat to strike. Goran Dragic would be an expensive piece, but the Kings need a point guard and Dragic would cover that position for them. The Heat could also ask for Ben McLemore for an added option on the wing.
The Heat is not yet sold on Dragic as their point guard of the future and realistically, the Slovenian guard is not valuable enough for a superstar trade. This could be the best option for the Heat to add frontline scoring.