The Miami Heat were all-in on their pursuit of LeBron James for nearly a month, which consumed much of the early portion of free agency. However, their offseason began with a major move as they traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The move was appealing because Miami believed it could potentially pair Giannis with James. However, James ultimately decided to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
“LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers for his final run at another NBA championship, he announced Friday,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote. “James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania.”
With James off the board, the Heat must act quickly as the second wave of free agency begins to pick up. They wasted no time turning their attention toward another veteran star in future Hall of Famer DeMar DeRozan.
“The Heat and free agent Demar DeRozan have had mutual interest in the past, and fresh conversations are expected in the wake of James picking the 76ers,” Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote. “DeRozan, 36, isn’t a three-point shooter (just 30.2% in his career) but remains a highly skilled midrange shooter who can generate his own shot and at times, create for others.”
Adding DeRozan would give the Heat another elite offensive weapon with the ability to create his own shot. However, Miami appears interested in adding another established veteran as well: Bradley Beal. Not only have discussions taken place, but league personnel reportedly view Miami as the favorite to land both players.
“The Heat are viewed as the most likely destination among league personnel for both DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal,” ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote.
The Heat are in desperate need of more perimeter shooting, and Beal would provide that element to the roster. DeRozan is more of a player who thrives by getting to his spots in the midrange, while Beal has built his game around attacking from all three levels and letting shots fly from deep.
Beal and DeRozan have combined to earn $645 million in NBA contracts throughout their careers. While Miami would acquire both players for significantly less than those figures, adding them to a roster featuring Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo would immediately make the Heat one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference.
This potential move would once again alter the landscape of the East during what has already been one of the most unpredictable NBA offseasons in recent memory.
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