Wade, James, and Bosh free-agent acquisitions were from the bargain bin

Some interesting information was released by New York-based analyst Rich Steinlauf who gave his findings to SI.com. When you first look at the headline for this you might have gone cross-eyed, but after looking at the total impact (not just on the court) of these 3 players he is right. Check it out:

Steinlauf, who has worked with several NBA teams and gained respect for his system that rates each player's dollar value, claims Riley actually found a few blue-light specials, even after spending nearly $330 million on his big three.

According to Steinlauf's calculations, James' $14.5 million salary for 2010-11 is less than half his expected impact value of $31 million with the Heat this season.

By Steinlauf's calculations, Wade is expected to provide a $22.5 million contribution this coming season while earning $14.3 million.

Similarly, Steinlauf projects Bosh with an $18 million contribution this coming season, while earning the same $14.5 million from the Heat as James.

Now i know we all cant wait to see what happens on the court this year, but seeing numbers like this is always great news for the franchise. We have learned time and again that this organization knows how to put a team together and make money doing it. During times when some cities are afraid to lose their sports teams to other cities (ie. Marlins and Panthers among others) its always nice to have a reminder that the Heat is a first class organization who we know will keep basketball in South Florida for a long, long time.