Nene, 29, has long coveted Miami and Dallas as landing spots, but would have to force his way to one of those teams via a sign-and-trade since both are well over the cap. And whereas LeBron James was able to get a max deal through a sign-and-trade when he went from Cleveland to Miami, Nene would have to settle for a four-year deal with 4.5 percent raises under the new system in such an arrangement.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Will he take a reduced salary to compete for a championship?

Today, the world wide web is filled with articles on the Miami Heat somehow adding Nene, the top free agent of 2011, to a roster already loaded with big-tickets.

Reports suggest that Pat Riley, the oil-slick GM, will offer Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller to the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade for the Brazilian post.

Keep in mind the Heat and Nene would already have agreed on a multi-year extension as part of the deal.

In theory, this sounds good. In reality, it’s a long-shot because Nene seems determined to hit a homerun on the open market and won’t give ‘Riles’ a South Beach discount.

Unless we’ve got it wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time) and winning is his priority. Then Nene will take less for a chance at hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s irrelevant. But only because the Dallas Mavericks won game six and the NBA Title.

In the first half of game six, the Mavericks’ DeShawn Stevenson and Miami Heat’s Udonis Haslem exchanged shoves. Several players on both teams left their bench, which is a no-no.

A player is automatically suspended one game by league VP Stu Jackson, also known as the worst GM in the history of sports, for leaving the bench during an altercation.

So, it looked like the Mavericks and Heat would both be shorthanded for game seven.

There won’t be a game seven, though. The Mavericks won the series. And players, like Joel Anthony and Brian Cardinal, had an out because Stevenson and Haslem’s incident occurred during a timeout.

Still, it would've been interesting to see what the NBA would’ve done if there was a game seven.

My thought: Corporal/Commissioner Stern and lackey Stu would have issued a suspension of sorts just to prove a point.

After all, they’ve typically ruled by the letter of the law, and not the spirit of the law.

Even when common sense should rule the day. And even if it would've overshadowed game seven of the NBA Finals.

(Did this incident warrant a suspension?)

--Oly Sandor.

Agree or disagree? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

"Paul who?" Haslem told reporters at Friday's afternoon practice, according to Michael Wallace of ESPN's The Heat Index.  "Man, ain't nobody paying them dudes no attention, man. You know what studio gangster is? Look up that, look up the definition of studio gangster. I'm here to play basketball. First of all, I don't tweet. So I wouldn't know what he tweeted if you guys didn't tell me."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Leave it to the heart and soul of the Miami Heat to respond to Paul Pierce’s tweet.

By calling Pierce a ‘studio gangster’, Udonis Haslem, a veteran energy player, was implying that Pierce was a fake for insulting Heat superstar LeBron James via twitter.

Clearly, Pierce’s Celtics and Haslem’s Heat don’t like each other. Not one bit.

Pierce and the green-and-white feel as reigning Eastern Conference champions they deserve greater respect, while Haslem and The Holy Trinity of South Beach are expected to cruise to the NBA Title.

See the potential for conflict?

Haslem’s comments are the latest development between these rivals. Expect their war of words to continue, especially once the Heat round into form.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem was arrested Sunday for possession of marijuana following a traffic stop in Miami-Dade County.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: This isn’t good for Udonis Haslem or the Miami Heat.

After all, Haslem is heavily connected to the area. He was born in Miami, attended Florida University, and has spent his entire career with the Heat.

This summer the club signed him to a five-year extension, in part, because of his positive standing in the community.

Now taking a toke on the whacky stuff doesn’t make Haslem a bad guy, but it does show poor judgement and must make Executive Pat Riley question his professionalism.

Of course, the Heat probably thought they were past these issues when they dealt troubled Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer.

Well, they’re not. The surprise is that Haslem is the player in trouble.

--Oly Sandor. 

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent forward Juwan Howard.

“This is a great addition for us,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “We feel that Juwan’s ability to play both the four and five spot will be complimentary to what we have put together. He also gives us incredible professionalism and is a perfect fit behind Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: History is repeating itself with Juwan Howard and the Miami Heat.

Only this time, they`ll be a happy ending.

In 1996, Pat Riley nearly signed Howard to a massive seven-year, $100 million contract, hoping he would star in South Beach. However, the deal fell through, and the power forward re-signed with the Washington Bullets/Wizards.

Today, Riley and the Heat officially landed Howard, except the circumstances and context are very different. The former All-Star inked a minimum contract and will back-up starters Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem.

Howard is well equipped for a supporting role. Last year, he filled in admirably for the Portland Trail Blazers after Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla went down with injuries.

Expect him to defend, rebound, and practice hard in Miami. He’ll also provide a veteran sounding board for the Three Kings of Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade when things get rocky.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

--Oly Sandor.

"The gritty power forward told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Monday that he is spurning more lucrative offers to stay with the only team he has played for in a seven-year career.

Haslem loyalty is understandable: he was raised in Florida, attended the University of Florida, and has spent his entire career with the Heat.

And as well as Dwyane Wade's supporting cast played Friday night in a gut-wrenching 100-98 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round series, it remains a supporting cast too anemic to be part of what Riley has planned for the future. Richardson, Wright and Haslem are on expiring contracts, and Chalmers' contract has a team option. 

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