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LeBron’s Return to Cleveland: How It Leaves the Heat

LeBron shocked several and thrilled many when he chose to sign with his home state Cleveland Cavaliers rather than re-signing with the squad they had built around him in Miami. After a disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the last NBA finals, James entered free agency and soon signed with Cleveland. For years, people have speculated that he might make a return to the Cavs, however, the messy way he departed in the first place made that seem unlikely.

Still, he made the switch. And here we are still talking about it. The Heat have done their best to add new pieces and keep themselves within reach of a title, but it’s hard to imagine they will be better than they were last year. Cleveland, however, immediately had an influx of interest as free agents league-wide wanted an opportunity to play alongside James. Within a week of James signing, a new Big Three had formed in Cleveland and several supporting players had been added. James was set to play with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and the first overall drafted Andrew Wiggins, but Wiggins was quickly traded for All-Star forward Kevin Love from the Timberwolves. With their existing team, James, Irving, and Love, Cleveland immediately became the favorite for the number one spot in the East. After James was signed, Cleveland was able to also sign former Heat players James Jones and Mike Miller as well as bring in Shawn Marion, a former Dallas Maverick.

Heat fans were understandably upset when James made the change. Some were respectful, and thanked James on social media outlets for the work he’d done for their team, but some were downright furious. It seemed to many that James was being a sore loser, leaving after failing to get a third championship (the coveted “three-peat”). LeBron has claimed in his open essay about signing with Cleveland, however, that his switch was about more than sports. It was, to him, about returning home and doing something meaningful for (and bringing a championship) the state that raised him—a state that hasn’t claimed a major professional sports championship since 1964.

So, how does this leave the Heat?

As stated before, the Heat quickly made moves to fill the gap that James left. They avoided a complete overhaul and reconstruction and chose instead to keep their core intact and sign some extra talent. This meant re-signing most of their existing roster (Norris Cole was the only player with a guaranteed contract for the next year). Self-proclaimed “Heat Lifer,” Dwyane Wade, was expected to re-sign with the Heat, and he did. Within a week of James’ announcement that he was returning to Cleveland, Wade signed another contract to stay in Miami. At the time of James’ announcement, Chris Bosh was entertaining offers from other ball clubs (especially the Rockets, who made various offers for the All-Star power forward/center). But he too signed a new contract with the Heat shortly after James’ return to Cleveland. The new contract ($118 million over five years) ensured that he’d play a key role in Miami’s rotation for years to come and possibly become the face of the franchise. By retaining Wade and Bosh, Miami was able to remain an attractive destination for free-agents. Mario Chalmers, Chris “Birdman” Anderson, and Udonis Haslem also re-signed with the team, leaving them with only one remaining task: to fill the void James left. It’s arguable that no one player could fill James’ shoes and the Heat seemed to understand that. In the offseason, the Heat’s front office was able to sign rookie Shabazz Napier, and add free agents James Ennis, Danny Granger, and Josh McRoberts (although McRoberts and Granger were signed before James’ departure).

By leaning on their old players and adding in the new, the Heat will remain a competitive force in the not-so-competitive Eastern Conference. But will they have enough to grab a championship this year? It’s unlikely. The Heat have lost a league-MVP-caliber player with James—a loss that isn’t easily (or maybe even possibly) replaced—and to create chemistry with their newly signed players will definitely take time. It’s a good bet that the Heat will end up in the playoffs, but that has more to do with their conference’s lack of competition than their talent.

That isn’t, however, to say that Miami doesn’t have talent. Two-thirds of the once famous “Big Three” still remain in Miami and the added talent will definitely help their cause. Still, losing a player like James is something that any team, even the Heat, would struggle to overcome. What James said about his new Cleveland team in his open essay now also applies to the Heat: “It will be a long process… [and] patience will get tested.”

Last Updated: March 29, 2016