Heat want to sign Shane Battier

[insidehoops]

Starting Monday, teams can begin making direct, face-to-face pitches to free agents, after being limited to contact with player agents since Wednesday. The post-lockout starting point for free-agent signings remains Friday, which is also when training camps will open in advance of the lockout-shortened 66-game schedule that for the Heat opens Dec. 25 on the road against the Dallas Mavericks.

According to Yahoo, the Heat's initial push will come toward Memphis Grizzlies free-agent forward Shane Battier, who essentially would take over the reserve-swingman role the Heat envisioned last season for injury-plagued Mike Miller. Battier, however, would provide a higher level of defensive deterrence on the wing, easing such burdens for James and Dwyane Wade.

Miller is currently sidelined with a sports hernia, and could be cast aside under the one-time amnesty exception that allows teams to remove the salary-cap and luxury-tax hits of a single player. Such a move would allow the Heat to offer Battier a contract starting at $5 million for 2011-12. Otherwise, the Heat could be limited to a $3 million offer. Battier, 33, earned $7.4 million last season, dealt at midseason from the Houston Rockets to the Grizzlies.

-- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[insidehoops]

Also, Greg Oden:

ESPN is reporting that the Heat is considering making an offer to the oft-injured restricted free agent. This would be a longshot, since Miami can’t get near the $8.9M that Oden would make next season, Oden reportedly feels loyalty to Portland for sticking by him, and the Blazers could match any offer. But Riley’s taken these shots before, doing it twice in one offseason. He didn’t get Elton Brand from the Clippers, but he got Lamar Odom. And, with the new CBA, Portland would have less time to match (three days) than in previous years, so the potential opportunity cost (with other free agents) wouldn’t be as great.

-- Palm Beach Post blog

[G-train]

reporters just make these articles up or write them based on offhanded comments and tweets.

The Heat should not spend a very valuable exception on Battier IMO.

Especially as much better players that could be amnestied.

James Jones can fill in for miller for a small price I would imagine.

That being said, if they sign Battier it will fortify the forward spot and he is a good team mate.