The Miami Heat have a number of options in free agency as things move along this summer and names like Shawn Marion, Michael Beasley, Jordan Crawford, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Chris Singleton and Greg Oden could be potential signings for Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to join Luol Deng on the roster, as the team is trying to fill out their bench with solid options for Erik Spoelstra as the team recovers from losing LeBron James.
According to the Miami Herald, the Heat are still not sure about signing back Beasley and Greg Oden, as their roster is filling up and they want to bring in players that can contribute into next season. Beasley was very efficient in limited time last season and he is generating interest from teams like the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls, while Oden could be a fit for a number of teams like the Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics along with the Heat.
Chris Douglas-Roberts and Chris Singleton have received interest from the Heat and they could be options this offseason as well. Ray Allen is likely signing with the Cavs or retiring, while the Pacers also have interest in Singleton. Miami has the chance to bounce back after losing the finals, but they will need to play very well to win the conference again after going four straight years to the finals.
Crawford is another option for the Heat, as he is on the free agent market after playing with the Warriors and averaging 11 points per game. Crawford was strong from the field shooting and also from three point range and that could be very valuable for Miami. The team also signed back Chris Andresen and Udonis Haslem along with Mario Chalmers and that keeps the core of the team together after this recent run and the team should be right there with the Washington Wizards in the division. The central should be very competitive as well, with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers all improving.
Last season the Heat went 54-28 while winning the east for the fourth time in a row and now that James has left to join the Cavaliers once again, Miami will have to replace his production with some of the players they have signed. Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger were the first two to sign and those should be very good veteran options, while Deng is a massive snag, as he can help make up for what LeBron does and while it won't be quite up to par, he is a strong defender and an offensive threat as well.
The team has been active this offseason and they have a new Big 3 with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Luol Deng and while that may not be good enough to get the number one seed, it surely is good enough to be a factor in the east again. Miami should be right in the mix in the eastern conference despite losing James and they will also need new leaders in points, rebounds and assists after LeBron led the way last season and his exit could be huge for Dwyane Wade again. Wade has been dealing with knee issues, but he also has been playing a different game with James there and now he can likely get back to what he does best.
