The Miami Heat have traded for Shabazz Napier at the draft after taking PJ Hairston with the Charlotte Hornets and the Heat are coming into the offseason with LeBron James as a free agent and names like Kyle Lowry, Chandler Parsons, Lance Stephenson and Zach Randolph could be options for the team to bring in for free agency to keep LeBron in South Beach along with the Napier trade for Pat Riley.
According to ESPN.com, the Heat could look at Lowry as an option if he leaves Toronto, while Parsons has an option that the Rockets may decline and that could open him up for a deal. Lance Stephenson is a free agent option if he can get over his antics, while Randolph could be a fit if Chris Bosh leaves.
The Heat are coming off their fourth straight championship appearance after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the finals in five games and as they embark on a quest for a another run for the title, many have speculated what will come this summer, as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can opt out of their deals and the King already did. Names like Lance Stephenson, Chandler Parsons and Kyle Lowry could be perfect fits for the team.
Many in the NBA world have speculated that James will get a new contract, Wade will re-sign and the Heat will try to move Bosh or get him to opt out, leaving two stars and room for a third as the Heat try and retool heading into the 2014-15 NBA season. There is a chance that the team will have $50 million in cap space depending on how many of the stars opt out and to keep James the Heat may have to make some big moves again, adding a player that is high-profile and expensive and as it gets closer to next summer and people speculate about LeBron and the Lakers, here are some stars that the team could try to bring in to keep title town going.
An interesting option brought up by Bleacher Report is Paul Pierce from the Brooklyn Nets and while many would think that a deal for Pierce is crazy, no one thought Ray Allen would bolt for Miami from Boston either. Pierce could be an option since he is getting older and with the money on his deal, the Nets could try and go for a championship this season and then pare down the salary cap a bit as they move forward. Pierce will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and as he finishes a four-year, $61.3 million contract, he may be looking for another championship.
Since the Nets didn't win this season, Pierce could be swayed to take a bit less money to move to Miami to try and get another title and after averaging a solid 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists as a 35-year-old, Pierce has shown that he has gas in the tank. Even if he averaged about 15 points and less than 30 minutes per game, he could make a big impact for the Heat and James. DeMarcus Cousins from the Kings is a prime option for a trade, but that will be tough after averaging 17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds.
Andrew Bogut of the Warriors could be a very interesting option for Miami if they choose not to retain Bosh, as the former number one overall pick has shown to be one of the most consistent centers in the league while playing in Golden State and that would have to be in a trade.. Behind Dwight Howard and names like Omer Asik and others, Bogut is a top five center with prime skills and if he can prove that he can stay healthy this season, he will have some suitors as a free agent next summer. Bogut was essential to the team during the playoffs last year and averaged 5.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in 32 regular-season games while dealing with injuries. Bogut will be 29 next season and after averaging nearly a double-double for his career at 12.2 points and 9.2 rebounds, he could be the type of player that the Heat needs to make another championship run.
The Memphis Grizzlies made a nice run last year to the Western conference finals and in the playoffs this year, but with Zach Randolph having a player option, there is a good chance that the star forward will be a free agent next summer. Randolph will likely try to cash in one more time after resurrecting his career in Memphis and with his averages of 15.4 points and 11.2 rebounds last season, he could be a prime target for the Heat, especially if they let Bosh go. Randolph is tough and has great size and if he decided to take less money to try and win a title, the Heat would line up for that in a second.
