Wade

July 1 has arrived and suddenly Miami is the focus of the nation. But the spotlight is not shining on Miami’s reputation as a tourism Mecca, its focus is the possibilities that lie ahead for its National Basketball Association (NBA) team – the Miami Heat. July 1 is the date several major NBA players became free agents, meaning their contracts have expired with teams that originally signed them, and they are free to join any team.

Superstar Dwayne-Wade of the Miami Heat, Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors are now free agents – and the prospect of having the trio in the Heat has fans in a frenzy.

James

Several sources close to the NBA have concluded that the three basketball giants will be in Heat uniforms after July 8, the deadline for signing free agents. However, as attractive as this possibility is to South Florida, it is far from a done deal.

The signing of free agents, especially top players like Wade, James and Bosh, is subject to intense negotiations – wheeling and dealing that rival trading on Wall Street. It is the team that has the ability to offer the highest salary that often attracts the best players. The NBA subject teams to a “salary cap” meaning there is a ceiling on the amount of funds allotted to a team to pay its players. The objective is to make all the teams competitive, none able to outdo the other with salaries.

Pat Riley, the Heat’s manager, cognizant of the salary cap limitations, has been busy making moves in the off-season to shift his players like pawns on a chess-board to ensure the Heat has the funds to build its super team.

Bosh

But, Riley is not just focusing on getting James and Bosh to play with Wade, who is expected to resign with the Heat; he is also negotiating with other free agents like Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix and Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz.

It is the possibility of having James, Bosh and Wade, however, that is boggling the minds of Heat fans and most South Floridians. This trio would help the Heat pull millions of dollars to the region.

In the meantime, speculations will continue as to whether the Heat will catch James, Wade and Bosh; but until July 8, Heat fans can only hope that the dream becomes a reality.