The Miami Heat have appeared to have found their big man. The team recently went against recent quotes and decided to use their amnesty clause and waive Mike Miller and $6.2 salary. Believed to be a move to lower the luxury tax burden, it could also be a clear sign the Heat are making room for Greg Oden.
FoxSportsFlorida reports the Miami Heat are currently in discussions with Oden to sign with the team. Oden has been in Las Vegas all week meeting with teams interested in him. The Heat met with Oden early and then let him explore all options before opening up negotiations on a contract. The Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans are also interested in the center, but the Heat have the upper hand.
Miami have their taxpayers mid-level of $3.2 million and could technically offer Oden the best contract of any of the teams. That is a lot of money to invest in a player that has not seen an NBA court since Dec. of 2009, but it keeps Miami in the game. Oden's agent has been in discussions with Heat president Pat Riley. The team has been interested in the former No. 1 overall pick since mid-way through last season, but opted to see how his health progressed before offering any kind of deal.
Oden is currently rehabbing from his third micro-fracture surgery and appears to be ready to play. There are no indications about whether or not Oden will be ready to start the season. A guaranteed bench player, Miami would give him the opportunity to jump back into basketball slowly.
The Pelicans are doing their best to up their recruitment of Oden. Having hired head coach Monty Williams in the offseason, he could be the x-factor for landing the center. Williams and Oden worked together with the Portland Trailblazers during Oden's 82-game stint in the NBA. That familiarity, along with the smaller media spotlight in New Orleans could persuade Oden to sign. He could come back into basketball in a no-pressure environment and develop back into the player he used to be.
The Mavericks are also in the mix after losing out on both Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. While they certainly are getting the pieces to become a championship team, it is hard to compete with the two trophies the Heat have just won. Oden's agent says it will be a few weeks before the center makes his decision, but Miami is the frontrunner.
