Josh McRoberts to Heat: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction: In what turned out to be a bidding war between Southeast Division foes, Josh McRoberts chose the allure of South Beach over a return to Charlotte. McRoberts and the Miami Heat verbally agreed on a four-year, $23 million contract Monday, equipping Miami with one of the games more underappreciated role players. ESPNs Marc Stein reported details of the deal: A 2007 second-round pick, McRoberts found his niche over the last season-and-a-half in Charlotte. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 2013-14. Given freedom by coach Steve Clifford to distribute out of the high post and stretch beyond the three-point line, McRoberts found a place willing to accentuate his skills. “He’s smart. He’s been around a while and he understands the game, free-agent point guard Jameer Nelson told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. He’s not looking to score a lot, but he is looking to make the offense and the defense work. So whether it’s passing, running the floor, setting screens—he does everything right. Zach Lowe of Grantland noted how McRoberts fit in Charlotte likely made the move difficult: McRoberts, who declined his $2.7 million player option for 2014-15, instantly found himself more of a target for teams than at any other point in his career. The Blazers, Hornets, Heat and other organizations reached out to the 27-year-old in recent days, with Miami and Charlotte becoming front-runners over the weekend. Adrian Wojnarowsk of Yahoo Sports reported Monday that Charlotte upped its offer to the full mid-level exception—roughly double what McRoberts was due to earn. But Miami was also said to be pouncing, and committing to a four-year deal at the full mid-level was enough to win McRoberts over. Using a mid-level exception deal indicates that the Heat plan on staying above the NBAs salary cap. It may also be a sign that Heat president Pat Riley is confident in his ability to keep LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. In recent days, rampant speculation has popped up—specifically in regard to James and Bosh. McRoberts apparently decided a chance to play for a title was worth rolling the dice on the Big Threes return. At this price, McRoberts is expected to match his production from last season. The Heat need McRoberts three-point shooting (36.1 percent last season) and facilitating out of the high post to continue. The former Duke standout was one of just three players who primarily played the power forward or center spot to average four or more assists per game last season. Kevin Love and Joakim Noah—two of the NBAs best bigs—were the other two. Clifford utilized him in that role in large part out of necessity. Charlottes spacing was a mess for most of last season due to poor perimeter shooting littered across the roster. Pairing McRoberts with Al Jefferson was one of the few ways Clifford could coax a cogent offense. Charlotte scored 105.4 points per 100 possessions when McRoberts and Jefferson shared the floor, four points better than its overall average, per NBA. In laymans terms, the 2013-14 Bobcats scored like the Warriors with their frontline together. They were hanging out with the Bucks, Jazz and Bulls when the two werent paired. Charlottes drafting of Noah Vonleh may help lessen the blow of his departure. So even though $23 million looks like a high total for someone like McRoberts, its for a purpose. Hell ostensibly get to work with a far better group of players around him next season and in the type of system that emphasizes McRoberts two best skills: shooting and passing. Factoring in his excellent pick-and-pop numbers last season, Miami is getting a better NBA player than most casual fans assume. Whether hes worth a mid-level contract will likely depend on how his signing influences James and Bosh. Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter: Follow @tylerconway22 Read more NBA news on BleacherReport #NBA #BreakingNews #JoshMcRoberts #fantasybasketball
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:02:08 +0000
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