Can Anybody Beat The Heat?

Miami has made bolder moves than any other title contender--and more may be on the way

MAKE NO mistake: The Heat is going for it. By acquiring forward Antoine Walker and point guard Jason Williams on Aug. 3 in a record 13-player, five-team trade, Miami conjured up images of the NFL's old Oakland Raiders, who turned reputed malcontents into stalwarts. While Heat coach Stan Van Gundy noted that Miami had already had success in this regard (see Lamar Odom, Rafer Alston), Walker sounded eager to get with the program. "I've never come into a season and said, Our goal is to win a championship," he says. "This is an opportunity I don't want to let go."

If he makes good on his promise to defer to stars Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade--rather than overdribble and jack threes, which he did repeatedly with the Celtics--the 6'9" Walker can serve Miami well at both forward slots, scoring, creating shots for others and grabbing rebounds (career: 8.7 per game). Last season Williams's negativity divided the Grizzlies' locker room, but when he's under control, he can be an electrifying playmaker: Over the last three years he has averaged a gaudy 3.5 assists per turnover. And while Miami president Pat Riley gave up three swingmen in Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler and Qyntel Woods, he also got small forward James Posey, who showed flashes of being a defensive stopper and potent transition scorer with Memphis. With an eye toward winning the franchise's first title, Riley said, "This had to be done."

At week's end the Heat was the only bona fide contender to have made ambitious roster moves. The champion Spurs had done little other than sign 6'10" Argentine forward Fabricio Oberto. The Pacers had welcomed back Ron Artest from his 73-game suspension. The Suns had acquired power forward Kurt Thomas from the Knicks in a deal for swingman Quentin Richardson but might let guard Joe Johnson go to the Hawks in a sign-and-trade. And the Pistons had stood pat since hiring coach Flip Saunders to replace Larry Brown.

Riley vows that he isn't done. In opting out of the final season of his contract to sign a five-year, $100 million deal on Aug. 2, Shaq agreed to a $10.6 million pay cut for next season; that means Miami can use its $5 million mid-level exception without paying a luxury tax. The Heat will wait until Aug. 15 to see if veterans Michael Finley, Allan Houston and Doug Christie are waived under the NBA's new "amnesty" provision, which allows teams to shed big salaries. For the second year in a row the most intriguing off-season buzz is coming out of South Florida. --I.T.