MIAMI _ Miami Heat President Pat Riley curiously omitted a letter when discussing the free-agency whirlwind that begins Saturday.
"We have a plan. We have a Plan A. And we have a Plan B," he said. "There's no D, E, F or G."
Plan C, though, might be coming to light, with an Eastern Conference official saying he would not be surprised if the Heat reprise the play they made for power forward Serge Ibaka before February's NBA trading deadline.
The Heat's Plan A is expected to be maximum-salary free-agency pitches to Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward and Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, with the Heat scheduled to meet Saturday with Hayward.
Plan B would likely be cycling back to retain free agents James Johnson and Dion Waiters, the duo that helped spark the Heat to a 30-11 record over the second half of this past season.
But Ibaka long has held a fascination for the Heat because of an offensive game that takes opposing defenders to the perimeter, and a defensive game capable of deterrence at the rim.
Ibaka was dealt from the Orlando Magic to the Toronto Raptors at midseason, with the Raptors allowed to exceed the salary cap to re-sign Ibaka because of the Bird Rights that accompanied him in his trades from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Magic and then to the Raptors.
The Raptors, who dealt promising forward Terrence Ross to the Magic to obtain Ibaka, are expected to make a major push to retain Ibaka. However, should Toronto lose point guard Kyle Lowry in free agency, with the Minnesota Timberwolves a potential suitor, it might lead to a Raptors rebuild that has Ibaka shaking free.
While free-agency negotiations are allowed starting July 1, teams are not allowed to sign agreements until the conclusion of the NBA signing moratorium at noon on July 6.
Among the concern that had the Magic moving on from Ibaka was a concern that he only could play defensively against centers, which could limit the ability to potentially play Ibaka alongside Hassan Whiteside in a Heat lineup.
