The summer's biggest NBA free agency domino fell Friday when LeBron James announced his decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after four seasons with the Miami Heat.
Luol Deng will be making the opposite journey.
The nine-year veteran reportedly agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with the Heat Sunday after splitting the 2013-14 season with the Chicago Bulls and the Cavaliers.
To say that the Heat have a very large hole to fill in replacing James could qualify for understatement of the year, but Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra continued to make progress with the addition of Deng, who averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season. The Heat also locked up Chris Bosh this weekend, but have yet to lure the original member of Miami's Big Three, Dwayne Wade, back to South Beach.
After being drafted by Phoenix with the seventh pick in 2004, Deng was traded to Chicago, where he spent the first eight years of his career. But the Heat will now be the small forward's third team in the past year. Deng was traded to Cleveland in January for Andrew Bynum and three draft picks after he and the Bulls could not agree on a long-term deal.
Deng will not be the only former Blue Devil taking his talents to Miami next season. The Heat agreed to a four-year, $23 million deal with power forward Josh McRoberts July 7.
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