Yahoo! reported that, although talks died last week, a deal consisting of Marion and Marcus Banks in exchange for Gordon, Larry Hughes, and Joakim Noah was discussed. The talks will probably not rekindle, but there are a few intriguing aspects of this trade.
For one, the Heat are willing to put Marion's name in trade talks. To me, it's only common sense for Pat Riley to do so. Shawn Marion wasn't shy about voicing his dissatisfaction as a third wheel behind Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Now Marion finds himself as a third wheel behind Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley. Moreover, Marion will also have a worse supporting cast than the one he had in Phoenix. He won't complain this year because he knows he'll be getting a $17.2 million check next summer. But he'll go to another team, and the Heat should trade him when they can at least get something from him.
Pat Riley was apparently also fine with Marcus Banks as a trade chip. Does this mean that he feels comfortable with rookie Mario Chalmers and the undrafted Chris Quinn at the point? Or does it simply mean he felt that Gordon could play the point guard next to Dwyane Wade? I certainly hope it's the latter. It's always safe to have three players at each position. Besides, Chalmers and Quinn are both inexperienced. Chalmers did have a strong summer league outing, but so did Earl Barron.
The other Yahoo! story regarding Miami was that sources have said that Pat Riley is still interested in Shaun Livingston. However, the article did mention that Portland is the favorite to sign him. I don't understand why the Heat are trying to sign a point guard when they already have Chris Quinn, Mario Chalmers, and Marcus Banks at the spot. I don't see that much of a need for Livingston now.
I'm glad that the Heat are letting teams know that Marion is available. However, I would like to receive a center in return for the Matrix. Noah is a power forward and Gordon is a shooting guard. Larry Hughes is a swingman. The trade with the Bulls would not have worked out for Miami, and I'm glad it didn't come through. The Heat should make a trade involving Shawn Marion for a center, as I have said all along. It would be nice if it was before training camp, so that the new addition would be able to have some experience with the Heat's system before he goes up to Madison Square Garden.
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