The Miami Heat re-recruitment of free agent LeBron James has commenced in earnest.
Pat Riley and company worked long and hard on draft night Thursday to acquire UConn star guard Shabazz Napier largely because the four-time league MVP said they should and these days it's all about doing what's necessary to keep James enamored with the Heat and South Beach.
"My favorite player in the draft," James tweeted after the Heat executed a deal with Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets to swap the sharp-shooting Napier for former North Carolina star P.J. Hairston.
James is high on Napier, praising as the best point guard of the draft class while Napier was leading the Huskies on a most improbable NCAA title-run earlier this year.
"I would hope so," Napier told ESPN when asked if he felt his arrival might have any impact on James' free-agent decision. "He's one of the best players in the world. So if me going there helps him come back, it just betters our chances of being a complete team."
After the Heat were soundly beaten by San Antonio 4-1 in the NBA Finals, James put the Heat on notice that he is looking for upgrades "at every position" before next season. Riley is hoping the Napier acquisition serves as a signal of the franchise's commitment.
"I know LeBron tweeted something out in the NCAA [tournament] about him," Heat president Pat Riley said after the draft. "Why not. If LeBron and I have the same taste in talent, so be it. But he didn't call me on the phone, or he didn't make a point to me about it."
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