NBA Free Agents: Contending Teams That Must Make Bold Moves
The following three teams need to make bold moves to capitalize on the championship opportunities in front of them. The future is now for the following three teams. They must now act accordingly.
The Heat need to solidify their rotation around the Big Three. To add players, they are either going to have to work a trade or add someone with the mid-level exception.
The Heat need to find some way to swing a trade for Steve Nash. This team needs a point guard to make the position his own. Mario Chalmers showed flashes and hit a few big shots, but he is inconsistent and not skilled at dishing the rock.
Nash has the outside shot to keep defenses honest, and when it comes to getting teammates the ball in the right place at the right time, no one is better.
The Heat do not have a lot to offer for trade bait outside of the Big Three. That could make this deal difficult.
One move they can absolutely make would be to add a center via the mid-level exception. This team has a lot of centers on the roster, but none are the answer.
They need a durable player who can play defense and rebound the ball. Someone with a low post offensive game would be nice, but that is asking too much.
A realistic target here is Samuel Dalembert. He is exactly the kind of defensive presence the Heat need. In 24.2 minutes a game with the Kings last year, Dalembert averaged 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
He is also very durable. He played 80 games last season, and a full 82 in each of the four seasons prior to that.
Kobe Bryant's window is quickly closing. If the Lakers want to get him another championship, they better be aggressive right now.
The Lakers have talent, but they need to shake up a lineup that was stagnant for long stretches last year.
The Lakers don't have money to burn in free agency. If they are going to make a splash, it is going to have to come via a trade. The answer here is simple: get Dwight Howard.
Howard is a much better fit in the front court with Pau Gasol than Andrew Bynum is. Dwight isn't going to care about getting a ton of low-post touches. Gasol can be that guy. That would free Howard to clean up the offensive glass and dominate on defense.
The other thing the Lakers need to address is the point guard position. They need to infuse some quickness into this lineup, and this is the place to do it. The market is not deep for PGs, and the Lakers will only be able to offer the mid-level exception.
JJ Barea may be the best option here. Barea would be a good fit for the screen-and-roll game. He also has the quickness to get into the lane. He would do little to help the Lakers defensively at this position, but at least he would add quickness and penetration on the offensive end.
The Bulls have one glaring need: shooting guard. They tried to patch this spot together last season with Kyle Korver and Keith Bogans, but both players have severe limitations.
Korver is nothing more than a shooter and Bogans can't score. The Bulls need more out of this position to help ease some of the load on MVP Derrick Rose.
The Bulls have a wealth of options here. They could try to clear some space and add a top-tier guy like Jason Richardson, or try and swing a trade for the Warriors' Monta Ellis.
If the Bulls were looking for a more affordable option, they could go after DeShawn Stevenson. Stevenson's offense is limited to shooting much like Korver. However, unlike Korver, Stevenson is an excellent defender.
He would fit nicely into the Bulls' defensive scheme, and his man would not be able to leave him to help on Rose.
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