Heat Poised To Pounce On Chauncey Billups
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The Miami Heat's biggest weakness since the Big Three was assembled is at the point guard position. The team went through several veterans last season without any success. But that may be about to change.
The Heat could be in line to sign veteran point guard Chauncey Billups as early as 6 p.m. Monday. But, the chance of getting Billups is contingent on him making it through the waivers process under the NBA's new amnesty rules.
According to the new collective bargaining agreement, a player who is amnestied will be given to the highest bidder among teams under the salary cap.
If none of the teams under the salary cap bid on the player, then the player will become an unrestricted free agent.
Only after making it to the unrestricted free agent phase can a team that is over the salary cap offer the player the veteran minimum to join them.
Billups, should he sign with the Heat, would fortify the point guard position with a scorer who can also play seriously good defense.
He's also had his agent make it known that he will retire rather than play for a bad team.
So, the Heat will have to hurry up and wait to see if Billups manages to sneak through the waivers process. If he does, and the Heat signs him, the Heat's roster holes are almost completely gone.
A lineup of Billups, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and a center is almost unstoppable for a starting lineup.
Then, the Heat would bring Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and either Udonis Haslem or Joel Anthony to keep the pace fast and the defense strong.
