Why Carmelo Anthony to the Heat is a thing that could happen

The Miami Heat reportedly aren’t satisfied with only three superstars. Although the Heat are currently locked in a very competitive NBA Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs, team officials have already started thinking about ways to add Carmelo Anthony to the roster during the upcoming offseason, according to a report from ESPN.com.

It certainly wouldn’t be an easy thing for the Heat’s front office to pull off, but owner Micky Arison and general manager Pat Riley are looking to make another big splash after their 2010 free agent haul was so successful.

The NBA’s newest Collective Bargaining Agreement was aimed at breaking up some of these so-called “super teams” by making the luxury tax penalty even more severe, but there are ways for the franchise to put LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony all on the same team despite various obstacles. The Heat’s Big Four would have virtually unprecedented star power, but is it much more than a pipe dream?

The idea of adding Carmelo Anthony to a team that already has James, Wade, Bosh and two (maybe three) championship rings is appealing for obvious reasons. Anthony is a potent scorer that has probably been asked to do a little too much on his recent New York Knicks teams. By coming to Miami, he would get to play alongside one of the best playmakers in the league in LeBron James. His ability to score the basketball would take pressure off the current Big Three and would probably help everybody on the roster log fewer minutes and put less staring on their bodies.

James, Wade, and Bosh all took minor pay cuts to come together in Miami in 2010 and would almost certainly have to do so again in order to make room for Anthony under the salary cap. All four players have the ability to opt out of their current deals at the end of this season. Therefore, Miami’s front office will have a chance to sell each player on the prospect of taking less money to join forces on South Beach.

The ESPN report also notes that LeBron James might especially be open to the idea of taking a further pay cut in his salary due to his massive income off the court. He has numerous endorsements and investments that bring in millions of dollars every year. According to ESPN, James made more than $30 million in cash and stock following the sale to Beats By Dre to Apple. James had a small stake in the company since its inception in 2008.

Although the Heat have the ability to create some salary cap flexibility this summer, it requires everybody involved to take less than the maximum amount of money that they can get. In theory, it sounds great for James, Wade, and Bosh to all sacrifice in order to bring in Anthony and give themselves the best possible chances to win another NBA title. But it gets really difficult when you’re trying to convince multiple people to say no to millions of dollars. There will be plenty of other teams offering enormous max contracts to all four players and it’s hard to imagine all of them cooperating and turning down that much money.

Besides all of the salary cap maneuvering that this move would take, the Heat also have to hope that Carmelo Anthony opts out of his current deal in the first place. Because he is currently under contract with the Knicks, Miami is not allowed to formally contact Anthony to discuss such a plan. Perhaps this rumor being leaked is their way of notifying him indirectly in hopes that he will formally become a free agent so that the two sides can begin discussing this possibility.

This rumor is incredibly ridiculous when you consider the timing of it. The offseason has not started. The Heat have not even been eliminated from the playoffs. They are currently trying to win their third straight championship and here we are talking about the idea that they could add Carmelo Anthony to their team.

If the Heat’s current Big Three want to be paid like they are currently being paid, then this is virtually impossible. If they’re really open to turning down a whole lot of money, then this becomes more feasible. Right now, it’s certainly something that could end up happening. But until Anthony, Wade, Bosh, and James all turn down those much bigger contract offers that they’ll receive from other teams throughout the league, it’s just a really intriguing rumor.