HHH Roundtable: Is a LeBron James-Heat reunion realistic?

For the first time in eight seasons, former Miami Heat All-Star and two-time champion is LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent. He will be entering his age-42 season, but the 23-time All-Star is still a very impactful player. Could a return be in the cards, now that the Miami Heat scored Giannis Antetokounmpo? Let’s ask our panelists!

1. On a scale of 1-10, how realistic do you think a LeBron James return to the Heat actually is? What’s the biggest obstacle standing in the way?

Surya Fernandez: I’ll be generous and settle on a 5, but that’s today. A couple of days ago, it would have been a solid 2 or 3, but usually when there’s smoke, there’s fire and LeBron, as he’s demonstrated when he joined and left the Heat, likes to keep things close to the chest. I think the biggest obstacle would be whether or not LeBron would want to upend his life and move on from Los Angeles.

Dan Riccio: I’m going to go with a 7 here. Over the course of this past season and right after, I have written on a LeBron reunion being a real possibility a few times with one caveat: Miami landing Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now that the Giannis domino has fallen, the Heat present a storybook ending on a truly competitive team to present to James.

When it comes to the biggest obstacle, I would go with timing. Miami has the full mid-level to offer, but can’t afford to wait on James’ decision on his future if it means other notable free agent targets keep falling off the board. 

Matt Hanifan: Maybe a 2.5 or 3. I don’t believe for a second that LeBron is going to turn down (near) max money from the Lakers to go play anywhere else. Practically every LeBron James offseason is the same story. His camp will cryptically suggest he’ll return to either Cleveland or Miami, just to return or re-sign a 1+1 where he previously was. I think the same happens here, unless the Lakers make another move to completely take themselves out of the running. It’s all smoke and mirrors (until it’s not).

2. If LeBron did return, what role should he have on a team built around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo? 

Surya: I’d like to think he would play a hybrid of his old role with the Heatles, a point forward pushing the ball in transition to Giannis and co., and maybe even a little power forward like Magic Johnson did in his final role with the Lakers.

Dan: Playmaking. Offensive orchestration. A role that James is comfortable playing as a point forward. He would not be asked to shoulder much of a scoring load at this stage of his career, but instead be relied upon to be an elite facilitator, impact the game with his Hall of Fame basketball IQ and be a leader around a revamped Heat roster.

Matt: LeBron is one of the best pure passers this league has ever seen. He’s an on-court savant and would be the Heat’s best playmaker from Day 1. So a lead playmaking role (where he doesn’t have to defend 1s or 2s) is ideal.

3. From a basketball standpoint alone, would adding LeBron make the Heat a clear championship favorite, or are there any concerns about adding LeBron?

Surya: Adding Giannis certainly made the Heat an immediate East contender, but adding LeBron, as well as a “Big 3” supporting cast, would give them just as good a chance as any other elite team.

Dan: The Heat with Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and coach Erik Spoelstra is enough as it is to be a contender, no matter what other depth pieces they are left with. Adding LeBron to the mix? That changes the game from contention to clear-cut favorites without a doubt. Championship or bust. 

Matt: They would likely be the favorites out of the East, although it still depends on 1.) How healthy are they? and 2.) How would they fill out the rest of the roster? You need depth and two-way versatility. And shooting would be an even greater need, with less money to allocate toward all of those things.

4. Would a LeBron-Giannis-Bam trio be the best “Big Three” in the NBA, or would another contender still have the edge?

Surya: Maybe if LeBron and Giannis were a little younger, but the important thing would be to win rings immediately and for that you need a complete team. But this is a heck of a start in building a serious contender.

Dan: Realistically, there aren’t many true “Big Three” centric teams nowadays. The blueprint in recent years has been having a 1A and 1B, with impactful All-Star caliber players to surround them. A LeBron-Giannis-Bam trio, granted they’d stay healthy together and adjust in how to play alongside each other quickly enough, is dare I say— the best true “Big Three” since LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh themselves. So no, I do not think any other current contender would have an edge.

Matt: They would probably be the Best Big 3, but that way of roster-building era is also dead. I would still give either San Antonio or Oklahoma City the edge if I had to put money on it. Both would still be more complete.

5. Looking beyond basketball, what would a LeBron return mean for the Heat franchise and its legacy? Would it feel like the perfect full-circle ending, or should Miami focus solely on building its next championship era around Giannis?

Surya: He left after just four seasons, so it does feel like there’s some unfinished business, like when he returned to Cleveland, so it would cement his legacy as an undisputed Heat great – complete with jersey retirement and maybe even a more accurate statue outside the Kaseya Center. Giannis would still play for Miami longer than LeBron’s eventual retirement, and Bam isn’t going anywhere, so there’s still plenty of time to write their own chapter.

Dan: I can’t think of a better full-circle ending possible for James if you factor in everything. Retiring in the South Florida weather, going back to a winning situation with the franchise that you became a champion, no-state income tax (even bigger of a sticking point if James were to settle for a cheaper price tag). The icing on the cake for James’ legacy would be to put Bronny James in the hands of an organization known for development. It all makes too much sense. 

Matt: It would be full circle, but every move the Heat makes should be geared toward building a contender around Giannis and Bam. To some degree, James helps with that, provided those three stay healthy. 

6. If you could only add ONE veteran around Giannis, Bam and LeBron, who would it be?

Surya: I’ll try to be realistic with my wishlist but I do like the idea of Tim Hardaway Jr. finally playing for the Heat. He’d fill a lot of needs and the Heat always bring out the best in these types of journeyman players. A close second would be Duncan Robinson, I mean why not if we’re going all nostalgic here.

Dan: Give me a Nikola Jovic for Klay Thompson swap. The salaries are a near-perfect match. Thompson is a championship experienced sharpshooter on a team that is desperately looking for shooting around their core.

Honorable mentions? A Duncan Robinson reunion fits that shooting description. Tim Hardaway Jr is another veteran that’s been linked to Miami for years. 

Matt: I’m sticking with Quentin Grimes. Heat would not only need youthful exuberance, but a two-way presence. Though getting him to play on the bi-annual ($5.6M) after he already played on a one-year prove-it deal may be a tough obstacle. 

7. You get one sentence to convince LeBron to come back to Miami. What’s your pitch?

Surya: You’re the missing piece for a championship run, and do I need to remind you of how you made Pat Riley’s bag of rings that much heavier?

Dan: Think of the value that not only a fifth ring does for your legacy, but to do it by returning to where your championship aspirations originally began at the most perfect time. There’s unfinished business.

Matt: It’s simple: If you want to win one more, come here!

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