UPDATE: So, I hope this is clear, but this column was written and published before the news broke this morning about Chris Bosh’s health issues. I’m just happy that Bosh’s doctors picked up on this early, and I send my thoughts to him and his family.

Pat Riley is a magician.

The Miami Heat president made a big deadline day deal when he traded for Suns point guard Goran Dragic, a third-team All-NBA player last year. The Heat also got Goran’s brother, Zoran, as part of the deal, which saw Danny Granger, Norris Cole, Shawne Williams, Justin Hamilton and two first round picks go to the Suns. The Suns then sent Hamilton, Cole and Williams to New Orleans for John Salmons. Granger will most likely be waived.

It was an amazing deal for the Heat. Dragic made it clear he wanted out from Phoenix, saying the front office there had betrayed his trust. He wanted to be in a big city, and Miami was on his list of teams he would re-sign with, so Riley got to work. He made the assets available, he put up the draft picks, and he got one of the best guards in the league.

The trade immediately makes the Heat contenders to make a run in the East.

That being said, there are a lot of ifs. The biggest if of them all: Dwyane Wade has to stay healthy. In fact, for every sentence you read the rest of this column, just imagine the words “If Dwyane Wade stays healthy” before every sentence. Just mentally insert it in there.

There are other ifs, too. Luol Deng needs to stay on the court and rise up to his old form. Chris Bosh still has to carry a lot of the load on defense, and his body can’t break down. The Heat bench has to start playing better. The team has to get along with Dragic, and figure out how to make him happy in their lineup. There are a lot of ifs.

But a starting lineup of Dragic, Wade, Deng, Bosh and up-and-coming big man Hassan Whiteside is a scary lineup, especially in the Eastern Conference.

While Dragic’s ball-handling has gone down significantly this year as part of the Suns’ three-man backcourt with Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe (Thomas was traded to the Celtics on Thursday), last year he was one of the most devastating point guards in the league. Last season he was especially deadly when he ran a pick-and-roll with Channing Frye, a 7-footer with 3-point range. That pick and roll was all but unstoppable, and was a big reason the Suns made a serious run at a playoff spot in a stacked West.

You know who else is a 7-footer with 3-point range? Chris Bosh. If Dragic and Bosh figure out how to run an efficient pick-and-pop quickly, I don’t know how many teams in the NBA, let alone the Eastern Conference, can defend it.

On top of all that, the Heat are still coached by Eric Spoelstra, who has proved to be one of the best coaches in the NBA over the last five years.

This team isn’t perfect. Their bench is weak. They won’t be as strong defensively as they were with LeBron James. But this team can shoot, they’ll have spacing, they have size and rebounding, and they have two guys in Dragic and Wade (when healthy) who can get into the lane and make things happen.

The Eastern Conference is better this year, too. The Cavaliers are figuring things out, and the Bulls are deep and talented. The Wizards and Raptors are both strong teams.

But none of these teams are perfect, and I’d put the Heat’s starting 5 (with Coach Spoelstra) up against anyone. I truly think the Heat could win a couple series and make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Heat still aren’t as good as probably the top 7 or 8 teams in the Western Conference, but it doesn’t matter. This team can make a run at the Finals, and I can promise you that no one in the Eastern Conference wants anything to do with the Heat as a 7- or 8-seed. Everyone in the East should be scared.