The Miami Heat were left out in the cold Friday when LeBron James spurned them to join the Philadelphia 76ers, but they are quickly moving on to their backup plan.
The Heat are immediately viewed as the favorites to land former Sacramento Kings wing DeMar DeRozan, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. They have also expressed interest in Bradley Beal, who is a free agent after a lost season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
DeRozan and the Heat are said to have mutual interest, and they are viewed as the frontrunner for both players. It is unclear, however, whether they plan to use the roughly $7 million remaining on their mid-level exception to sign both players or just one.
DeRozan may be tempted by a return to one of his former teams, but the Heat make a lot of sense for him. The Heat need shooting, and DeRozan has one of the best mid-range games in the sport, even at this stage of his career. He averaged 18.4 points per game last season for the Kings.
Beal is coming back from a fractured hip, but he and the Heat have been linked to each other for years. The 33-year-old faces questions about his health, but if he can stay healthy, he would provide Miami with some badly-needed three-point shooting.
