In an appearance on 560 WQAM in Miami, Heat president Pat Riley acknowledged that the team could use another big man, but said he didn't view it as an essential addition, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
"We definitely are going to continue to look for somebody in that spot," Riley said. "But unless there's an injury, we really don't need a center…. We signed Chris [Bosh], basically, in my mind, fully in my mind, not in the back of my mind, he was probably going to be our center in critical situations. Chris Bosh is a power forward, he's a Tim Duncan-type player, but when you watch the San Antonio Spurs play, Tim is in the middle. That's all there is to it."
Since acquiring their Big Three, the Heat have dealt with a hole at the center position, rotating players like Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, Dexter Pittman, and Ronny Turiaf in and out of the spot, with mixed results. Still, it's hard to argue with Riley when he says adding a big isn't a necessity, considering the team is coming off a championship.
If the Heat do add a big man, Darko Milicic has been rumored as one possibility. Winderman also points to Mickell Gladness and second-round pick Justin Hamilton as low-cost options. With no mid-level or bi-annual exceptions left to sign free agents, the Heat could only offer minimum-salary contracts.