The Miami Heat didn’t mourn the loss of LeBron James long before picking themselves back up and added some great pieces to the roster.
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Pat Riley had already started adding players like Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts before the LeBron James decision came down but they didn’t make their biggest splash until former Chicago Bulls swingman Luol Deng was signed to a two-year deal. That came after some wild uncertainty and maneuvering by the Heat front office.
According to Ira WInderman of the Sun Sentinel, the Heat weren’t sure they were going to be able to sign Luol Deng since their situation changed rather dramatically from when they met with him in Chicago to the end of that week when he was eventually signed to replace LeBron James.
"“I think the first day that I met with him, I truly believe if we could have signed him, he would have signed. At that time, we were an exception team. We were sort of dealing with the thought we were an exception team. . . . So that discussion had to take a number of meandering roads. But he knew that we wanted him, that we would do whatever we could to get him.”"
Deng eventually signed with the Heat and he’s one of the better offseason signings that should pan out well. But this gives more insight into just what it’s like to be in the front office of an NBA team and how quickly deals can change and come together over the course of a few days.
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