NBA Rumors: If Miami Heat Don't Get Nene Hilario, Samuel Dalembert Next Option?

Now that the NBA lockout has come to an end, one thing is apparent in Miami.

The Heat need to land a solid body in the middle. Given the way the Dallas Mavericks' Tyson Chandler dominated the boards in the NBA Finals, that has to be priority No. 1 for the Heat.

Naturally, Nene Hilario will be around the top of the Miami wish list, but he’s likely financially out of the question. Houston, Indiana, New Jersey and Golden State are just a few of the teams expected to offer Hilario a lucrative multi-year deal according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.

The Heat will certainly gauge interest on Hilario, but could quickly turn their attention to Samuel Dalembert.

According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, there is mutual interest on both sides.

Dalembert is a guy who averaged 8.1 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds per game last season for the Sacramento Kings.

He also blocked an average of 1.5 shots per game, but that number doesn’t reflect how many shots he changes per game. A big presence in the middle such as Dalembert could fill a huge void for Miami.

For one, it allows Joel Anthony to come off the bench, where he is a more effective player.

You also have to remember that Chris Bosh will log time at center as well when he and Udonis Haslem are on the floor together.

Adding a guy like Dalembert—who is there to rebound and play defense—to the mix makes perfect sense.

Now the main question is, will Dalembert be willing to sign for Miami’s $5 million mid-level exemption?

If Dalembert is willing to sign for a mid-level exemption, the Heat may have to compete with the New York Knicks for Dalembert’s services. The Knicks would be able to offer the big man a bigger role this season.

The Heat and Dalembert seem like a perfect match—now we will just have to wait and see if they can land the big man. They can’t go into the season without one.