Miami Heat Rumors: Latest NBA Free Agents and Trade Targets Linked to the Team

The Miami Heat fell just short of the NBA championship last year, getting all the way to the finals before falling there to the Dallas Mavericks. Now they just need to get that last little bump to get them over the top. That means that right now who the Heat add is a hot topic. 

Here are a few names that have been linked to the Heat. 

Shane Battier is discussed as a player who is a "quality defender and career 38.5 percent three-point shooter who won't demand minutes or touches." Battier is on the south side of his career, but he is such a team player and such a leader that he would be a good presence in stressful situations. 

Dwyane Wade is a gutsy guy but he's very emotional. Chris Bosh is emotional too.  LeBron James tries to pretend the hate doesn't get to him, but every once in a while he lets it fly. Battier would be a good, stable presence to have on the team. 

Grant Hill is a player that would offer many of the same things that Battier would but perhaps with a bit more offense. You can argue that at this point he's a better defensive player. 

Tracy McGrady would offer an intriguing player as he could run the point. He showed last year that he's willing to be more of a distributor than the main man. Seeing McGrady, James and Wade play together would be a lot of fun just from the perspective of a basketball fan. With all three having the ability to score with or without the ball, it would darned difficult to defend. 

Samuel Dalembert is far and away the most intriguing free agent though for two reasons. First, he makes the most sense to fill the mid-level exception and second, he's indicated he's interested in playing for Miami for less money. 

On these issues, I'm not ready to chalk up that point until the player says it. Once they have, it's valid, and Dalembert said it.

"...What is best for you might not be for the most money...If you look at the playoffs with Dallas, you saw what Tyson Chandler did. He was basically a key ingredient for them to win a championship. And Miami didn't have somebody like that. Somebody able to stop (foes from) getting second shots and somebody able to rebound and finish. I could fill that role and be an asset for that team."

In terms of the size of the person, the impact on the game, or just the sheer length of his name, Dalembert is without a doubt the biggest name linked to the Heat this offseason. Adding him would be a huge addition, and as he noted, might be enough to put them over the top.