NBA Free Agency: 5 top targets for Miami Heat
By Tom West
The Miami Heat are re-signing Hassan Whiteside, but there’s still more to worry about for them in NBA free agency. Here are some targets to consider.
The Miami Heat are one of the most interesting teams to watch in NBA free agency. They have so much on the line and that’s before even considering their pursuit of Kevin Durant, hoping to make the most of Pat Riley’s pitching and many rings, while attempting to sell the superstar on South Beach and a chance to contend in the easier Eastern Conference. There’s more to think about than Durant, though.
Thankfully for Miami, after some confusion and reports that the Dallas Mavericks were the favorites to sign him, Hassan Whiteside has decided to re-sign with the Heat on a four-year, $98 million max contract. Of course, he let everyone know on Snap Chat and an article at The Players’ Tribune.
And now, for the second straight year, the Mavs and Mark Cuban are left without their center. If only they could rescue the team by signing Timofey Mozgov for the bargain price of $64 mill… never mind, the Lakers beat them to it.
There’s still the matter of only having so many players on expiring contracts and Dwyane Wade’s free agency, too. Will the Heat hand over a large contract to reward him for all his years, championship and impressive performance last season? Or will he actually entertain the idea of leaving?
On top of that, Chris Bosh’s future still has a level of uncertainty, as it isn’t guaranteed that he’ll be playing next season and we can’t know where he stands long-term due to his persisting health issues with blood clots.
Essentially, there are lots of max players to worry about and there’s plenty of pressure for Miami to make everything work to keep their team and chance to contend together.
Let’s take a look through five targets for the Heat (in no particular order).
Next: Going after Kevin Durant