Josh McRoberts Rumors: Latest Buzz and Speculation on Free-Agent Forward

Updates from Monday, July 7

Marc Stein of ESPN reported on Josh McRoberts' next destination:

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The Miami Heat may be one step closer to locking up one of their offseason targets.   

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Josh McRoberts is becoming a "serious free-agent candidate" for the Eastern Conference champions:

The 27-year-old is coming off a season in which he averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the then-Charlotte Bobcats. Despite those somewhat unimpressive numbers and the fact that he had offseason surgery to remove bone spurs, McRoberts has become a hot commodity in the offseason:

Hornets general manager Rich Cho spoke about his desire to bring the power forward back to Charlotte after he opted out of his current deal, per the Associated Press, via ESPN.com:

"He was a big part of our team and we definitely want to re-sign him," said Cho. "He helped Kemba (Walker) and he helped Big Al (Jefferson). He's such a great passer. He's a connector to the team. And he's a great teammate also. So we're hoping we sign him."

That sentiment was reiterated by a source to Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling:

ESPN.com's Marc Stein posited that the Charlotte Hornets might be the best fit for McRoberts since he has already earned himself a spot in the rotation:

Robert Silverman of The Daily Beast countered that McRoberts' path to the court might have gotten a bit too crowded after the addition of Noah Vonleh:

If he doesn't want to sign with either Miami or Charlotte, he might have a potential suitor in the Portland Trail Blazers. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reported that the Blazers are looking to add the forward and that the interest is mutual between the team and the player.

Most fans will disregard the McRoberts sweepstakes, but where he signs could have a massive impact on the NBA landscape if it is a factor in where LeBron James plays next year. The Heat are aggressively working to try to surround LeBron with a better supporting case, and if they nab McRoberts, then they will have in part accomplished that goal.

This will be one of the periphery storylines to follow throughout the NBA offseason.