LeBron James, Miami Heat Aftermath: Top Free Agent Targets for Next Season

LeBron James has officially stated he will be joining the Miami Heat.  Although having a core of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James is as good as it gets, building around such a core will prove to be quiet challenging due to salary cap issues.

With a superstar at the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions, point guard and center are the main concern, followed by a solid bench.  Although Pat Riley can be trusted to make good decisions (like pulling together Wade, Bosh, and James), here are some suggestions to the Miami Heat GM and front office. 

Center Position

The Miami Heat will not be able to sign a quality big man this off-season.  For starts, there are not many out there with Boozer, Amare, Nowitzki, Haywood, others already committing to other teams.  Secondly, they lack the amount of money necessary to sign a quality big men, especially since those do not come cheap (you can ask Marc Cuban about that). 

Regardless, there are still some pieces out there that would make solid contributions.  Free agent Brad Miller could possibly be obtained for part of the mid-level exception.  Miller provides veteran experience and good decision making.  Although past his prime, he is still able to knock down an open shot (of which he should get plenty of), as well as serve as a big body on defense. 

Another good acquisition would be the re-signing of Joel Anthony.   LeBron James hinted at this during his decision to join the Heat by mentioning him in the conversation.  He is an underrated defender that, although lacks any offensive game, should provide an impact defensively.  Adding these two guys would be inexpensive and should provide all the needs at the center position.

Point Guard

If the team is able to trade Beasley, they might get a chance to obtain a point guard like Andre Miller or Raymond Felton, although this is not looking like a possibility.  Keeping Mario Chalmers is still an option for the Miami Heat.  His contract is very inexpensive, and he does provide good defense.  But with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh controlling the offense, Miami will need a point guard that can shoot. 

There are not many of these around, but two guys that come to mind are Jordan Farmar and Luke Ridnour.  These players might get a bigger contract elsewhere, but the chance to play along three superstars might just convince them to join the Heat. 

Another two veterans that would benefit the Heat are Jason Williams and Shawn Livingston.  The last time the aging point guard Williams teamed up with Dwayne Wade, he got himself a championship ring.  Living in Orlando, moving to Miami would not be a big burden to bear.    Last year, Livingston showed he is a valuable piece to an NBA team, especially as a 15-20 minute guard off the bench.

Role Players

There are plenty of role players that would benefit the Miami Heat.  Mike Miller is the first targe, and with James, Bosh, and Wade taking a pay cut, he should be signed within the cap. Matt Barnes is another name that comes to mind.  His salary is not expected to be high, and with part of the mid-level exception, he could possibly find himself in a Heat uniform next season. 

Another name is Anthony Morrow.  Although Morrow will not give them team anything other than three-pointers, that itself would make him deadly playing next to Wade and LeBron.  The same story goes for Rasual Butler, who has drawn interest from several teams.  Portland has been targeting Chalmers for a while, and there might be a trade in the works, although unlike to happen.

UPDATE: Beasley got traded to Minnesota for basically cap space. This frees up enough money to sign a guy like Mike Miller and Haslem to come off the bech. They are said to also be pursuing Rasual Butler now, as well as Kyle Korver, as well as resigning Haslem.

Brad Miller and Matt Barnes can be signed with part of the MLE. Joel Anthony and Jason Williams should accept the veterans minimum. You can also bring in Juwan Howard to back up Chris Bosh and Haslem, and he should also be a vet minimum guy.

Conclusion

If the Heat play their cards right, they might have the chance to build the super team they envision with the addition of James as early as this summer.  Adding the right pieces with inexpensive contracts and minimum salary veterans, the Heat team has the chance to create a dynasty.  With a few negotiations, the Heat can have a team that looks like this for next season.

                PG – Mario Chalmers / Jason Williams

                SG – Dwayne Wade / Mike Miller

                SF – LeBron James / Matt Barnes

                PF – Chris Bosh

                C – Brad Miller / Joel Anthony

Have any suggestions?

Agree?   Disagree?  Comment away!