The Heat have 12 free agents heading into this summer but they need to focus on bringing Dwyane Wade back for the future before any of the other 11 free agents are addressed. D-Wade is going to have a lot of suitors outside of Miami but the Heat are the best team for him. That is because they can sign a couple of free agents (other than their own) and use their Larry Bird rights to go over the cap to bring back D-Wade. Udonis Haslem, Jermaine O’Neal and Quentin Richardson are the best of the unrestricted free agents that the Heat have and it will be interesting to see if they bring any of them back as they all still are decent players. Carlos Arroyo and Dorell Wright are also likely to be on some interest for the Heat to bring back into the fold. But, Rafer Alston, Yakhouba Diawara, Jamal Magloire and Shavlik Randolph are likely history for the Miami Heat. Backup C/PF Joel Anthony has a player option for 2010-11 but he is considering hitting the open market as a restricted free agent likely looking as much for minutes as money. Mario Chalmers has a team option for 2010-11 and they will likely exercise it seeing how he doesn’t make much money anyway.

29-year old power forward Udonis Haslem is a lot like Rodney Dangerfield used to be as neither of them get much respect. All Haslem does is bring his hard hat to work everyday for the Heat. He rebounds, plays defense and once in a while gets to score some points. He played in 78 games (0 starts) for the Heat last season and he averaged 27.9 minutes, 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Haslem has now played in 517 games (386 starts) for the Heat in which he has averaged 30.9 minutes, 10.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Haslem is #2 all-time in Heat history in games played (517), #3 in rebounds (4,177), #9 in steals (307) and #8 in points (5,175). It will be interesting to see if Haslem is involved in a trade this off-season as the Heat look to reload. I hope he stays because he means a lot to this team and his buddy D-Wade as they won a championship together.

Dwyane Wade put together another MVP like season for the Miami Heat, averaging 26.6 points, 6.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.  He also shot 48% from the field, 30% from three, and 76% from the free throw line while playing 36.3 minutes per game.  This season wrapped up Wade’s seventh season in Miami, where he has career averages of 25.4 points, 6.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.  Year in and year out Wade puts up these types of numbers and always has the Heat competing.  Just competing isn’t enough for D. Wade though, who led the Heat to the NBA Championship in 2006.  Wade wants to get back to the Championship level, and the Heat just have not been close to that since ‘06.  Wade has put his body on the line during his seven year career with Miami, and it has taken it’s toll.  He has missed 103 games during those seven seasons and he deserves to be on a contender.  The Heat need to make sure they do everything they can to make that happen, because Wade is a free agent and he will probably leave if they don’t make any major improvements.  A rumor has been swirling around that the Heat will sign Chris Bosh.  That would definitely keep Wade in Miami and will instantly make them contenders again.  Whether it is Bosh or another big free agent, the Heat need to make some major moves if they want to keep Wade.