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5 Free Agents Miami Heat Should Sign
Five Free Agents the Miami Heat Should Sign
With the upcoming season vastly approaching, teams are solidifying their 20-man rosters. The current free-agent talent pool is dwindling, so now is the time for contending teams to pick up savvy veterans that could potentially put them over hump. Currently, there are over 50 free agents in the NBA that are looking for a new home, and many of these players are household names.
The Miami Heat are a team that on paper don’t seem like they need a lot to booster their roster, but adding a player with one extremely strong skill set, especially a veteran, could help them clinch a third consecutive title. The Heat were exposed this past offseason, so many teams are building their rosters around these Heat deficiencies in hopes of beating the defending champs and winning the Larry O’ Brian trophy.
The Heat have had mixed success with veteran free agents since the formation of the Big Three in Miami. Players like Ronny Turiaf, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jerry Stackhouse have come and gone, with little impact to the success of the team. Chris Andersen’s addition on the other hand, has helped fill a tremendous void for the Heat in terms of the center position. If the Heat were smart, they would look at filling the last four spots on the roster with one of these free agents. Here is the top five free agents the Heat should sign going into the 2013-14 season.
5. Lou Amundson
Career Stats: 3.7 PPG, 0.3 APG, 3.6 RPG, 0.7 BLKPG
Even with the signings of Chris Andersen and Greg Oden this offseason, the Heat are still weak at the forward/center position. Signing Amundson would just mean another big body on the Heats roster, but with an ever-aging core of players, it doesn’t hurt to have a back-up big man. Don’t expect anything higher than what his career averages are.
4. Lamar Odom
Career Stats: 13.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.9 BLKPG
Although Odom has had some recent drug issues, his presence can still be a positive contribution to a title contending team. Odom had some of his best playing years alongside Dwyane Wade, and he could easily revitalize his career alongside the Heat’s Big Three. Odom plays solid offense in the paint, and offers a big body to clog it up on defense. Limiting Odom’s minutes would be a must initially, but once he found a groove with the second unit, he could easily be putting up numbers close to his career averages.
3. Daequan Cook
Career Stats: 6.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.4 SLTPG
Another former Miami Heat player could be making his way back to Biscayne Bay. Daequan Cook is one of those single skill-set players who has made a living off of the three-point line. The Heat have been extremely successful when putting multiple three-point shooters on the floor, and Cook could be another one. Although his numbers have diminished since he has entered the league, I truly believe this is due to a lack of consistent playing time. When Cook has averaged his most minutes per game, his points per game and three-point shooting percentages were the highest. Given the opportunity, Cook could be a valuable player off the bench.
2. Earl Barron
Career Stats: 4.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.2 BLKPG
Earl Barron is another former Miami Heat player that could bring some much-needed size in the paint for the defending champions. Being a 7-foot center in the NBA, you are a commodity. When Barron played for the New York Knicks last season, he averaged 18 rebounds per game. Yes, 18. This was when Barron was averaging 37 minutes per game. Given the opportunity, Barron can be the rebounding presence the Heat desperately need.
1. Richard Hamilton
Career Stats: 17.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG
Although he isn’t the player he once was, Richard Hamilton is still able to shoot the ball at a high percentage. This is a huge asset for the Miami Heat. Hamilton is the type of player that will wear down a defense because of his constant movement. Dwyane Wade’s minutes will be limited at the beginning of the season, so having another guard that is capable of scoring consistently is a must. Even with the Heat needing to address size, a guard of Hamilton’s abilities shouldn’t be ignored.
