The Miami Heat are dealing with the potential loss of two of their biggest stars. Chris Bosh and LeBron James are both being pursued heavily by other teams willing to give them more money than Miami is which leaves Pat Riley to put together a plan B as a backup. If James and Bosh do head their separate ways, who is the next generation for the Miami Heat?
Norris Cole will be back next season. Other than that, the Miami Heat are a little unsure about what their roster will look like. The Miami Herald is reporting that regardless, Dwyane Wade should be back in a Heat jersey next season. The guard is expected to play his entire career with the team. However, the same cannot be said for James and Bosh. Both players are getting calls from other teams who are looking to throw max contracts their way, something Miami cannot afford to do. This is leaving the Heat to consider their other options in free agency.
With trades out of the question, the Heat will enter the race for several of free agencies B-list stars. NBA sources tell ESPN that Luol Deng and Trevor Ariza immediately become priorities for the Heat. Riley reportedly called Deng over the weekend to inquire about the possibility of signing the guard in the coming weeks. ESPN's Chris Broussard is reporting that Deng will not be willing to take a salary significantly less than his market value which could be around $10 million a season with the right team. The chances Miami pays that is slim.
Deng is getting plenty of attention as teams view him as an option outside of Carmelo Anthony. Like many others, Deng is being forced to wait around until players like Anthony, James and Bosh sign contracts before getting offered one himself. The Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers have all discussed terms with Deng so far in free agency.
Outside of Deng, Trevor Ariza is also a favorite. The Washington Wizards are hoping to retain Ariza for the long-term. The two sides have meet since the start of free agency, but nothing has been determined just yet. Ariza is content with feeling the market out before making a move. He could sign with the Heat along with Deng, but if James, Wade and Bosh all sign then only one of the two players will get handed a contract.
Bosh and Wade appear to prefer remaining in South Beach. They are just waiting to see what move James makes. ESPN.com reports that the only that could pull Bosh out of Miami is a max contract elsewhere. If James returns to the Heat, Bosh would come back at a reduced price.
