Amidst the news that the NBA will impose a lockout July 1, Pat Riley and the rest of the Miami Heat executives can at least know that they won’t have to restructure their entire team once the union and owners come to an agreement.
Eddie House decided to exercise his player option for the 2011-12 season at $1.4 million. His choice gives the Heat nine players under contract for next year: LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Dexter Pittman and House. The Heat also tendered a contract for 2011 draft pick Norris Cole and possess the right to match any offers Mario Chalmers receives on the free agent market.
Once Carlos Arroyo lost his place in the rotation around the mid-season point, House emerged as a key contributor off the bench. After the Heat essentially swapped Arroyo for Mike Bibby, House’s brother-in-law, House again became a spectator. He did score 35 points in the regular season finale for Miami and played well in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Still, his role on the team remains in doubt going forward, especially when considering his lack of point guard skills.