If the Miami Heat win the LeBron James sweepstakes, a new rumor claims they plan to go after a six-time All-Star in free agency to further improve the roster.
After a wild few weeks in the NBA offseason, including trades that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat and Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, the biggest story right now is on the future of the 22-time All-Star after he told the Los Angeles Lakers in June he would not return for a ninth season.
Over the last couple of weeks, a reunion between James and the Heat has been viewed as a strong possibility. Especially after they traded for the Milwaukee Bucks icon. However, if they come up short in the chase, word around the game is that six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan would be a likely Plan B. However, Heavy’s Sean Deveney claims Miami would still have interest if they win the James sweepstakes.
“Expect the Heat, with Antetokounmpo in tow, to stay aggressive if they wind up winning the LeBron-a-Thon, with DeRozan also in their sights. The Heat are hard-capped at the first apron, but they have about $10 million to add two players and get to 14 for the upcoming season.”
– Sean Deveney
What would DeMar DeRozan bring to the Miami Heat?
The idea of getting both James and DeRozan at team-friendly rates seems ridiculous. However, reports after the Sacramento Kings waived DeRozan last week claimed that the 17-year veteran is open to taking a low-cost deal to win his first championship in 2026-27.
Even after adding James, the Heat need more three-point shooting since that is not something either Antetokounmpo or Bam Adebayo brings to the table. Unfortunately, DeRozan would not help with that either. However, even a month away from his 37th birthday, DeRozan is still a reliable scorer. Last season, he posted 18.4 points a night after averaging 21 or more points the previous 10 seasons.
If he is open to a bench role, he could make an even greater impact going up against the second units for opposing teams. While he doesn’t improve their long-range shooting, if the Heat can get DeRozan at a discount rate, they should sign him.
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After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos