Dirk Nowitzki may have walked away with the finals MVP award after the Dallas Maverick's drubbing of the Miami Heat, but he couldn't have done it without the explosive play of J.J. Barea. That fact was made all the more painful because Barea is a graduate of Miami Christian and a former Miami-Dade high school basketball player of the year. Well, Barea's contact with the Mavs is up, and while he'd like to return, he's also said he's open to signing with Miami.
According to The Dallas Morning News, Barea would prefer to stay in Dallas, and says he "will do everything we can to stay here in Dallas." If that doesn't pan out he lists the Heat, Lakers, and Knicks as his preferred destinations.
Would the Heat sign him if he's available? Well, the team definitely needs some help in the point guard department. We imagine Barea might be able to get some more money elsewhere. But narrowing his destination to those four cities makes it seem like playing in a big market with an opportunity for another ring is more important than the biggest possible paycheck to Barea.
Welcoming a guy into your locker room who just beat you in the Finals is always kind of awkward. You can bet LeBron James doesn't like the fact that guys like J.J. Barea have more rings than he does, but he's not going to get one for himself unless the Heat bolsters its roster.
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