Oh, do I long for the days when Miami had an NBA franchise.

What! They still do? This LeBron mania is distracting everyone. I've got to pay better attention. By the way, do they give championship rings in summer league? That's it. Maybe Pat Riley was distracted by LeBron, too. It must be something.

Because the Miami Heat look like it has applied for dissolution.

With about $11 million in salary cap room thanks to Anthony Carter's incredible blunder of failing to exercise his option (See, kids, it pays to stay in school. Oops, he did. Never mind.), the Heat suddenly became one of the big players in free agency.

	Can Pat Riley explain why no one wants to play for him or in Miami anymore?

That sly fox, Riley. Here he would come. He scored a coup in the draft last year with Caron Butler. And with some big-time help -- maybe Jason Kidd or Jermaine O'Neal or Gary Payton, and, of course, the return of Alonzo Mourning -- Eddie Jones and Brian Grant could revert to their old supporting roles and Riles would be right back in the thick of that miserable Eastern Conference.

But with the July 16 free-agent signing day just about here, there's been not a peep (or even a Pip, as in Scottie Pippen) from the Heat. Not even a chance to pay Juwan Howard a third of what they offered him a few years ago, letting him get ready to sign with the cash-strapped boys up the turnpike in Orlando. Not even one of those second-tier role players, like P.J. Brown or Andre Miller. Not even a whiff at one of those Clippers free agents, whom Riley supposedly has coveted for years.

Remember those golden days when guys were supposed to want to play for Pat Riley, even with the boot-camp practices, because it meant winning? When guys wanted to make their homes in that South Florida sunshine, cut out the middle man and stay close to South Beach so they can be arrested near home where bond is easier? What happened to those golden days?

Even Jones, who is from Florida, wants out. What, that 25-57 season and those three-hour practices weren't fun? The latest word is Jones could get his wish, although going to the other end of the NBA world, at least weather wise, may not be what he had in mind. Minnesota, striking out again in free agency more than Harmon Killebrew against Hoyt Wilhelm, has been dangling its big prize of Terrell Brandon. He's retired, everyone thinks, but the Bucks thought so, too, a few years back and it only was an ankle sprain. Anyway, the Timberwolves have been assured he won't play again and whoever gets him gets to take him off their books during next season and then pay him just one more year. Miami supposedly is interested in unloading Jones to get out from under his long-term contract through 2007 for Brandon.

That ought to get them off the fishing boats and out of the Coconut Grove cafes to Heat games.

Actually, that's the problem.

No one in Miami much cares about the Heat. They didn't care much when the team was good. Selling sports in South Florida isn't easy when the sun shines every day and it's more pleasant outside in January than inside. But the Heat and owner/cruise ship impresario Mickey Arison wanted to see what would happen if the franchise did try.

It did, really.

Riley still thinks he could have made the playoffs last season. And that was four weeks after he'd been mathematically eliminated. Had Mourning not become ill a few years back, the Heat might have gone all the way after acquiring Jones and Grant, who were seemingly perfect complements. And if Tim Hardaway's knee had ... Oh, well. It all didn't happen.

Riley had one of those George Allen football budgets. You know, unlimited, but he exceeded it, anyway.

Not anymore.

The talk around the NBA is the franchise will change hands in the next few years. The rumors are that this is the franchise NBA commissioner David Stern is targeting for Michael Jordan. Heck, Jordan's number is retired there already and the gold is great. It's like what the Bucks did when Jordan was in waiting. They began making what appeared like stupid moves, non-basketball moves, anyway. They were moves designed to get the payroll down, present a better balance sheet and allow the next owner to begin building almost from scratch.

Bucks owner Herb Kohl had a change of heart. And perhaps Arison will, as well. But all signs point to something big happening in Miami.

Because nothing at all seems to be happening in Miami.

Riley was miserable last season. He told all his buddies around the NBA that. He told them he couldn't go through it again. But he also told them he owed so much to Arison, the way Arison brought him down there, put him in charge, gave him carte blanche to build a team and coach -- his dream, really -- and he just couldn't leave Arison with the team in the state that it's in. It had become the hanging chad of NBA franchises -- troubled, confused and going nowhere.

Riley had looked toward this summer. The Heat had about $7 million in salary-cap room. It didn't seem like a lot, but hardly anyone had any. Having $2 million more than the salary-cap exception seemingly put the Heat in the driver's seat. Of a slick speedboat.

No, they couldn't go after Kidd or O'Neal, for both would command maximum deals. But just about everyone else seemed in play.

Then word surfaced that Carter had goofed. The Heat now had about $11 million to start a contract. It could offer a six-year deal worth over $80 million. In sunny Florida. With no state taxes. With a chance to win, salvage the franchise and play with top players like Jones and Grant. Certainly, Mourning would return -- he lives there, after all -- with a chance to win.

	The talk now is next season. Wait until Odom and maybe Elton Brand sign offer sheets and become unrestricted. Watch us then! And Kevin Garnett will be a free agent. Kobe Bryant, too,. Maybe even Tim Duncan if he doesn't re-up. Yeah, that's the ticket. Watch us in '04-05.

But there wasn't a word from Kidd and no visits were planned for O'Neal, who did have a few in Texas before changing his mind about leaving Indiana. Michael Olowokandi talked about Denver. Howard talked about Minnesota, Detroit and Orlando. Brown talked about the Spurs before deciding to stay home. Miller talked about Denver and Utah. Same with Corey Maggette. Gilbert Arenas was mentioned in Miami. This after Denver told him to take a hike. There was no Karl Malone and no Lamar Odom, whom Riley pursued so much a few years back. No Jason Terry, who was rumored to be going there a few months back. Like Humpty Dumpty, no one can seem to put this Heat team back together again.

The talk now is next season. Wait until Odom and maybe Elton Brand sign offer sheets and become unrestricted. Watch us then! And Kevin Garnett will be a free agent. Kobe Bryant, too,. Maybe even Tim Duncan if he doesn't re-up. Yeah, that's the ticket. Watch us in '04-05.

This is not the Bulls of 2000, or even the Spurs this summer. Free agency is harder than anyone thinks. Having all that money sounds good, but you can't always get what you want, as the song goes. Denver had all the cap room and is going to sign a bunch of guys. And I've got them four years from the playoffs in the office pool. More often, the guys you want get away. And some you get and it doesn't work out, as the Magic will attest.

But you try to do what you can. Pat Riley always tried harder than anyone else. It's hard to believe he's promoted this state of team affairs.

The Heat still has an option, though. With salary-cap room, there are teams in luxury tax danger who'll dump a guy to you to save them money. Perhaps a team like Indiana, which doesn't seem to have the ability to re-sign Brad Miller after keeping O'Neal. So maybe Miami can get Al Harrington for a future draft pick. Maybe Portland throws the Heat Rasheed Wallace to save a lot of money. And maybe Riley, who remains a great coach without the talent to continue to show it, can figure him out. Maybe Riley has a free agent stashed away just waiting to shock the world. Hey, maybe LeBron James is going to demand a trade. Who knows now that he has his summer league ring?

There are options for the Heat. It just doesn't appear like the team is pursuing any of them.

Strange, very strange.

Sam Smith, who covers the NBA for the Chicago Tribune, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.