Steve Mitchell- USA Today Sports
The Miami Heat organization will have their hands full this summer as they look to retool once again to compete in the 2015-16 regular season and hopefully playoffs. With so many uncertainties in terms of wing depth, the Heat might have to settle on mid-level free agents to boost the position. One scenario the Heat organization might want to explore is signing current free agent Mike Dunleavy.
The 13-year veteran hits free agency on July 1 and will undoubtedly have many suitors this summer. The Heat could have the upper hand over other potential teams due to being able to offer a starting position, especially with Luol Deng potentially opting out. Dunleavy is the exact type of long-range shooter the Heat need on the wing. He shot over 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc this past season with the Chicago Bulls and managed to step up his game to an even higher level in the playoffs, averaging 10.9 points and shooting near 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Dunleavy isn’t too shabby on the defensive end either. His height and length allow him to be an above average one-on-one defender on the perimeter, averaging over 1.0 career steals per game. Dunleavy’s experience in the league could also lead to mentorship of James Ennis and the potential draft pick for the Heat in a couple of weeks. These are the tangibles the Heat are looking for in their starting small forward, and for a potential mid-level contract, they might not get much better than Dunleavy.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
