The Miami Heat have free agent options on the market to fill out the roster and while Eric Bledsoe would be a dream signing, the team may target names like Jordan Crawford, Chris Singleton, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Ray Allen, Greg Oden, Michael Beasley or Andrew Bynum to add to the core of Luol Deng, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the team tries to win the east for the fifth straight season.
The Heat have added strength to their bench and that was one of their weak spots last season and was one of the biggest reasons why the team lost to the Spurs in the finals. According to the Miami Herald, the Heat are still considering adding Michael Beasley and/or Greg Oden as free agents, but as more time goes by the less likely it is that those players will return. ESPN.com reports that Beasley has been worked out by the Lakers and he could be signed by the team next week. Oden is dealing with legal troubles and could be out for the season.
The free agent market is getting down to the bottom of things and names like Singleton, Crawford and Ray Allen remain as options for teams looking to add players. Crawford has been getting some interest from the Knicks, Bulls and Indiana Pacers, while Singleton has also been looked at by Indiana. Miami has a number of options after signing back Udonis Haslem and also adding Shawne Williams, as they also traded for Shabazz Napier after the draft.
Miami has won four straight eastern conference titles, but now the Cavaliers are the favorites after getting back LeBron James. Miami should still be a strong team in the eastern conference, but the Cavs have the top team once they add Kevin Love and that could make them the overall favorites in the NBA. Miami has a lot to work out, but the team should be right in the mix in the east this season.
The Miami Heat have plenty on the bench that should help this season and after ranking 30th in rebounding last year, having Chris Andersen back and adding Deng along with McRoberts and bringing back Bosh should help that. The team was fifth in overall defense and that may suffer a bit without James in the lineup, but Deng has shown that he can be a top defensive threat and that should add some shot blocking and athleticism to the lineup as well. The team averaged over 102 points per game last season and now they will need a new leading scorer, assist man and rebounder after James was tops for the team in all of those categories.
The Miami Heat can't replace LeBron James because there is no player like him in the league, but they can make up for his production. Adding Deng will be a huge help to that, as he can make an impact on both sides of the court and he is a strong shot blocker and rebounder on defense and he also is a strong offensive player. Deng could be one of the best signings of the offseason and if the team makes a nice run, he would be a major reason why.
