So Long, JT

After a considerable pause from writing, I figured I would have to at the very least write my thoughts on the Jason Taylor trade.

Once we all heard Phillip Daniels got hurt, it was pretty inevitable that JT would get traded to the Redskins. Dan Snyder loves big name guys and the Skins have a good enough team to make the playoffs. JT could help them get that extra push.

The big story is that the Fins got a fair price in exchange for their best defensive player. JT didn't want anything to do with the franchise this season and was probably going to retire after the 2008 campaign. Getting a 2nd rounder in the next draft and a 6th in the following year's draft is a very nice package for a guy who was adamant about never wanting to play here again.

I suppose the Skins were pushed to make a move due to the injury. It gave the Dolphins a little bit of leverage where up until now, they had none.

So now Jason is gone and so is the entire Jimmy Johnson era. No players from those teams are around now. Gone is Zach Thomas. Gone is Jason Taylor. Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain, all of them. The teams that won division titles and broke our hearts in the playoffs are officially a memory now.

It's unfortunate, but for the best. Jason needed a new home and we found him one, getting a fair deal in exchange. The 2nd round pick should be in the late teens or mid-20s, but I'll take a top 50 player in the draft for the next 10 years (should we make a wise selection) over a guy who has got a year or two left and no motivation to play for us.

I wish Jason well, even if the last few months here as a Dolphin were a bit rocky.

Baron Davis to Clippers

Seemingly irrelevant news for Heat fans, who had no hope of teaming Davis up with Wade in the backcourt, but it looks like this spells bad news for anyone hoping to make Elton Brand the future C of this squad.

Davis' 65 million dollar deal with the Clippers opens the door for Brand (who is an unrestricted free agent now, thanks to his Monday opt out) to re-sign with the Clippers with the hopes of contending next season. It looks as if the Heat might miss out after all, even with Shawn Marion's expiring contract as a trade chip.

If we can't get Brand, then it's pretty certain that Marion will stick around for the 2008 season and that'll be that. His contract will be allowed to expire and the Heat will either try to re-sign him cheap or pursue Carlos Boozer next season. Boozer is just as good an option as Brand is in my mind, and is a bit younger. He has his flaws, but a tandem of Wade-Beasley-Boozer would be sick.

If not, then the Heat can choose to be frugal again in 2009, risking pissing Wade off, but then opening the door for Wade to be united with a huge superstar like Chris Bosh or even LeBron James in the summer of 2010. Seems like a pipedream, but we'll see.

I was hoping Brand would opt to go to Miami, which is looking unlikely as we can't sign him as an unrestricted free agent. Unless the Clips are looking to sign and trade him for Marion (don't see why they would) then he is pretty much certain to stay in LA.

The blogs at the Sun-Sentinel suggest maybe trying to scoop up Mickael Pietrus and/or Andris Biedrins from the Warriors, who are reeling from losing their best player to the Clippers. Both would fit excellently on this team, and a trade involving Marion that would bring both here would be ridiculously good for the Heat. Too good, it too, seems like a pipedream.

So there you have it, the Heat have a million options, but seem doomed to wait until next year because of the cap restrictions and their recent poor season which must be detrimental to their attempts at wooing free agents.