Five free agents the Miami Heat should target in 2018
By Rob Slater
It’s never too early to look ahead to next year’s loaded free agency class and who the Miami Heat should start positioning themselves to recruit.
The summer of 2010 was a landmark moment for the Miami Heat, and eight years later they’ll get their chance to have another one.
The 2018 free agency class will pool together a number of the game’s biggest names including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins and many more. Again, it’ll be a feeding frenzy with the arms race already beginning as teams position their chips for maximum cap space heading into next summer.
The Heat do not have maximum space after giving long-term contracts to Dion Waiters, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk. At least not at the moment. The Heat will surely go “whale hunting” this summer and their challenge begins right now.
The Heat’s free agent targets for next year will hinge on two things: First, do they trade for Kyrie Irving in the next week? The Cleveland star and LeBron’s disgruntled teammate wants out and Irving put the Heat on his short list. While Irving has no leverage or say on where he goes, the Heat would be wise to explore all avenues to making a deal. Not only is the point guard just entering his prime but would also serve as a great recruiting chip for fellow stars next summer.
Secondly, are the Heat able to shed some salary? Part of Pat Riley’s plan with these (very reasonable) contracts given out seems to be contingent on the idea that Erik Spoelstra and his staff will develop and inflate the value of players like Olynyk, Waiters, Johnson, Wayne Ellington and Goran Dragic to make them viable trade assets. Olynyk, for example, would be a bargain at $10 million per year on career-high numbers.
Trading away the core doesn’t seem imminent (players signed this offseason cannot be traded until December anyway) but the Heat will surely keep tabs on any star looking for a change of scenery, which is why they’ll almost certainly explore a deal for Irving.
If the Heat can accomplish the goal of at least shedding salaries this season to give themselves more freedom to operate come summertime, they’ll be in prime position to yet again make a run at elite NBA talent.