MIAMI — Once Mike Miller's deal with Miami finally got completed Friday, the Heat moved quickly to add other pieces to their dramatically changed roster.
The Heat landed a pair of centers, re-signing restricted free agent Joel Anthony to a five-year deal worth around $18 million and also inking second-round draft pick Dexter Pittman from Texas to a three-year contract. Anthony has spent three seasons with the Heat, mostly as a defensive-minded reserve. Pittman was the 32nd pick in last month's draft and has been with Miami's summer-league club.
Next up: Miami is getting set to add more big men.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas agreed to join the Heat on Tuesday and may be signed by Saturday, and Miami is also closing in on adding veteran forward Juwan Howard — an ironic twist, considering Pat Riley tried to land Howard in a $99 million deal 14 years ago that was voided by the NBA.
But before going forward with anyone else, Miami needed to get the deal with Miller done.
"From the first moment that we met Mike on July 1, it seemed like it would be a match made in heaven," Riley, the Heat president, said in a statement. "We consider him to be the finest perimeter shooter in the NBA."
Miller made 48 percent of his 3-pointers last season for Washington — second-best in the NBA behind Kyle Korver.
The 6-foot-8 shooter agreed in principle about a week earlier to a five-year deal worth about $25 million and actually signed his contract Thursday, but it took about another 24 hours for it become finalized because of other paperwork issues.
He was considered a vital part of Miami's offseason plan, which of course started with the re-signing of Dwyane Wade and the additions of LeBron James — Miller's close friend — and Chris Bosh.
James said he wanted Miller to play with him, even talking the former Florida Gator into passing up higher-paying deals for a chance to sign with Miami.
"He is a multifaceted player who can rebound, handle the ball and make plays," Riley said. "We expect big things from him."
After Friday's signings, Miami now has eight players under contract, with Miller, Pittman and Anthony joining Wade, Bosh, James, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem.
Anthony has been with the Heat for three seasons, mainly as a defensive-minded reserve who could now be a starter.
"This contract with Joel Anthony is a testament to the man who is second to none, who has worked hard and deserved this," Riley said. "We felt that what he has done over the last couple of years in developing his game, his body and his knowledge warrants this reward. If other NBA non-drafted free agents want a prototype to follow, Joel Anthony is that man."
The 6-foot-10, 290-pound Pittman has been with Miami's summer league team after the Heat took him with the 32nd selection in last month's draft.
The Heat expected during the draft that Jermaine O'Neal would not be back in Miami for the coming season, so Miami used its first of what was four second-round choices to grab Pittman. O'Neal's departure also made re-signing Anthony a priority.
"Dexter has the size and agility to be a very productive player for us in the long run, and there is no better place for him to improve than in the Miami Heat system," Riley said.
Miami has had conversations with swingman Matt Barnes, who played with Orlando last season and delayed his anticipated Friday decision on 2010-11 because other teams were contacting him. The Heat also are considering other second-round draft picks Da'Sean Butler and Jarvis Varnado, plus have interest in free agent point guards Keyon Dooling and Chris Quinn.
REDICK WILL RETURN TO MAGIC: At Orlando, Fla., the only place J.J. Redick is heading is to the bank.
In a move that highlights his remarkable NBA turnaround, the same Orlando Magic team that once benched Redick shelled out $19 million Friday to retain the shooting guard. They matched a three-year offer sheet that the Chicago Bulls made for Redick last week that could cost Orlando much more.
The decision drives the Magic deeper into the luxury tax and gives them one of the NBA's highest payrolls at about $93 million next season. The move keeps Orlando's roster mostly intact as the Magic hope continuity will overcome Miami's All-Star trio and Boston's Big Three in the Eastern Conference.
"When it came down to it, when we're talking about what we're trying to do here, it came down for me to pedigree, DNA, things that most people don't think about," said Orlando general manager Otis Smith. "It was less about the money for me, being the basketball guy, and more about keeping a guy around that we've had in our organization for the past four years."
Because Redick was a restricted free agent, Orlando had seven days to match the Bulls' contract offer. Billionaire owner Rich DeVos and team president Bob Vander Weide took all seven days to make the move that nearly doubles Redick's salary from last season.
Teams have to pay a dollar for every dollar they are over the luxury tax, which the league set at $70.3 million for next season. The tax hit is based on the roster at the end of the season, meaning it's likely the Magic could make trades before then to lessen the financial burden.
Orlando should find relief in a new downtown arena that opens this year and creates new revenue streams. Smith also believes a roster that remains one of the deepest in the league is attractive for potential moves and doesn't mortgage the Magic's future.
"The fact that we have players that other teams want makes you pretty flexible," Smith said. "Is it possible to give out contracts and move a little bit less money? Sure. My thing is you don't want to take a step back with talent."
At the very least, keeping Redick assures that.
The former Duke standout was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft. He struggled early in his NBA career but has become a significant contributor for the Magic.
So much so that Smith decided that Redick and recently signed small forward Quentin Richardson had more value than Matt Barnes, who became a free agent after one season with Orlando. Smith said he never offered Barnes a deal and all but ruled out the small forward returning next season.
"It really came down to out of those three, which of the two do we bring in?" Smith said. "We like what Matt brought to the table, but sometimes you have to make decisions that's best for your club long-term."
Now Redick is a part of those plans.
He might also be a future starter after Vince Carter becomes a free agent next summer. Redick, who was vacationing in Europe and not immediately available for comment, was told of the decision Thursday night by Magic coach Stan Van Gundy.
That alone shows how far Redick has come.
Van Gundy limited Redick's playing time so much in 2008 that the shooting guard and his agent went public with the frustration, asking to get more minutes or be traded.
"He and I laugh about it now. His agent and I laugh about it now," Smith said. "Back to what he was to what he has made himself become, he's made himself into a better basketball player. We kind of snicker about it now just because he put in the work, got better and it really became harder to keep him off the court."
Redick continued to mold himself into an all-around player and not just a strong shooter. His passing skills are among the team's best, he whipped himself into shape and is no longer a defensive liability.
Redick averaged 9.6 points per game off the bench last season. He also was a consistent perimeter player in the Eastern Conference finals against Boston— while Carter struggled — and averaged 11.2 points in the series.
"You can't have enough guys on your roster who at their core is just winning and that losing actually bothers him," Smith said. "And he's one of those guys who at their core are just winners, and you want to keep them around."
ROBINSON REMAINS WITH CELTICS: At Boston, the Shrek-and-Donkey show is returning to Boston for another performance.
The Celtics have agreed in principle with guard Nate Robinson on a new contract, a team official told The Associated Press on Friday. The deal reunites the 5-foot-9 guard with Glen "Big Baby" Davis on a Boston bench that provided an important contribution during last year's run to the NBA finals.
A Celtics spokesman declined to comment, but the official confirmed the agreement to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet signed. The Boston Herald reported that Robinson will get $4 million a year for two seasons.
Robinson wrote on his Twitter page Friday that he was going back to the Celtics.
Robinson was acquired at the trade deadline but had fallen out of the rotation by the end of the regular season. He re-emerged in the playoffs to help Boston clinch the Eastern Conference finals and then, with Davis, led the second unit that helped the Celtics pull away from the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the finals.
"We're like Shrek and Donkey," Robinson said afterward. "You can't separate us."
The nicknames stuck, and now Robinson has, too.
The only three-time winner of the NBA's slam dunk contest, the diminutive Robinson fell out of favor with the New York Knicks during their ill-fated efforts to purge salary and land LeBron James as a free agent. He was traded to the Celtics in February, but couldn't seem to find much of a role in Boston, either.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers insisted that Robinson, who had never appeared in the postseason in his career, would find a niche, saying, "He's going to win us a playoff game."
That proved prophetic when Robinson came off the bench to score 13 second-quarter points in the sixth and final game of the conference finals against Orlando. In Game 4 of the finals, Robinson pitched in with 12 points in 17 minutes as the bench turned a two-point deficit into an 11-point lead.