According to HoopsWorld, Juan Carlos Navarro is close to becoming a member of the Heat.
With Francis having chosen the Rockets, it's likely that Miami now moves their attentions toward Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro, whose rights are owned by the Washington Wizards. The two teams have been in discussions about the guard all week, but it's been believed that Miami was waiting to see if they'd get Francis or not before pulling the trigger on a deal with the Wizards. Since Francis has officially passed on South Florida Navarro is probably headed there instead, with the most likely deal an exchange of a future draft pick and other considerations. Miami has spent all offseason looking for the perfect point guard to back up Jason Williams, and they may have found him finally in trade instead of free agency.
I haven't heard this anywhere else, so I'm still a little skeptical. I'm also personally not a huge fan of HoopsWorld -- their articles add little insight to me, and their rumors aren't always correct. It's also purposely vague on the exchange (what the hell does "other considerations mean"). Still, it's out there somewhere.
I need to go put on my sad face now. Hopefully, this report is wrong or incomplete.
Update [2007-7-20 13:53:22 by Pradamaster]: Ivan posted a blog about this, and it seems like this saga is far from over. That's a nice relief. Also, he clarifies the JCN situation, which I incorrectly summarized in the comments.
I've heard that Miami has called offering a combination of draft picks but I have no idea what kind of picks they are. Would a first and second get it done? And even if Riley makes a sexy offer, does Ernie Grunfeld really want to help a division rival by handing over an experienced scorer who will also have a chip on his shoulder whenever the Heat comes to town? The wild card in all of this continues to be Memphis. I hear that Pau Gasol has all but demanded that the Grizz do whatever it takes to get JNC.
Bottom line: something is going to get done one way or the other pretty soon. One thing to keep in mind is that Navarro could just say: "forget it" and go back to F.C. Barcelona. In that case, the Wiz would lose any chance of getting something for him. He may not get that sweatheart buyout option ever again.
I imagine Ernie's trying one more time to get Miami to increase their offer, considering the lack of point guards on the market. But the Navarro situation is interesting. We assumed Ernie was negotiating from a position of strength the entire time. Maybe that's not actually the case.
