Magloire Reaches Agreement With Heat

Pat Riley and the Miami Heat have agreed to terms with former All-Star center Jamaal Magloire who has now become a journeyman whose career keeps on sinking.

Some people have already pounced on this decision. "He's this year's version of Smush Parker," "He may be 30, but he plays as if he's 38," etc. Jamaal Magloire signed for the veteran's minimum. He won't have the same financial impact of Parker. A year-and-a-half after the Heat waived him, and Smush Parker is still on Miami's payroll. He is a very low-risk pickup. If he comes into camp in shape and motivated to play, then he'll prove the naysayers wrong. If not, he's just making pocket change by NBA standards and the Heat can simply move on without him.

This year, the bar will be set very low for Magloire. If he can defend the paint, rebound the ball, and be an occasional post-presence on offense, he would have exceeded expectations. We should all just give Magloire a chance to prove his worth before making opinions about the signing. He's nearly seven-feet tall with long arms. I know some people would have been happy with DeSagana Diop coming to Miami. Diop isn't anything more than a space-eater. Magloire can certainly offer that.

Magloire did beat out Lorenzen Wright and DJ Mbenga for the job. Mbenga supposedly wanted an offer larger than the veteran's mimum. No word is out on why Lorenzen Wright was passed up, but maybe Magloire came into the workout in good conditioning. Then again, maybe Wright was asking for more money than the Heat could offer without reaching the luxury tax. Magloire couldn't offer help to the Nets or the Mavs when they were looking for help in their frontline. But as I said, we should give Magloire a chance.

Is this the Heat's last move? Possibly. Will Magloire be at the top of the depth chart come training camp time? Maybe. I still view Magloire, when conditioned well, as a backup center. I've said before that Shawn Marion could be on the trading block. After all, he'll sign with another team next summer. The Heat re-signed Dorell Wright, and I doubt it was for a third-string position. If that had been the case, Riles could have just rescinded the offer. They signed James Jones, who has the potential to be a starting three. They made a cost-effective move for Yakhouba Diawara, who Erik Spoelstra is touting as a defensive specialist. Sound familiar? Marion and Wright both have the athleticism. Marion and Jones both have the three-point prowess (although Jones has it without the ugly shooting mechanic). Marion and Diawara are both perimeter defenders. All signs indicate a trade. But I don't hear anything. Maybe I won't hear anything for the rest of the off-season.