3 Bargain-bin free agents the Miami Heat can use

1. Dennis Smith Jr.

Scan the Heat’s roster and it’s obvious what they’re missing: A point guard.

Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro will handle the ball in the backcourt, and Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have the ball in their hands quite a bit, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a more traditional option at the position. 

Smith, 26, is a reliable playmaker if an unspectacular one. He has an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio (4.2-to-1.9 for his career) and shot 50% on 2-pointers for the Nets last season.

But what makes Smith a potentially special player is his defense. He’s a rugged on-ball defender who can guard the point-of-attack. He does a great job defending with his body, getting around screens and creating turnovers (2.3 steals per 36 minutes last season).

The Heat had an issue with point-of-attack defense last season and there aren’t many better than Smith. His defense and elite athleticism would give the Heat something they haven’t had on the roster in a long time.