Agent: Heat, F Josh McRoberts agree on 4-year deal

MIAMI (AP) While waiting for LeBron James, the Miami Heat are apparently giving him some more options to think about.

The Heat announced Monday that they intend to sign forwards Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts when the NBA's moratorium on deals being formally struck ends later this week.

Granger has agreed to sign a two-year deal, with an option for the second of those seasons. McRoberts agreed to a four-year contract, the last year also being an option, in a deal that could be worth about $23 million.

Heat President Pat Riley is planning to meet with James later this week, in an effort to convince him to stay in Miami. James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are all free agents, and none have said where they will be playing next season and beyond.

But even after going to the NBA Finals in four straight seasons, winning two championships, this was going to be an offseason of change for the Heat. Miami entered free agency with only Norris Cole under a guaranteed contract for this coming season. The Heat have a partially guaranteed deal with Justin Hamilton and the rights to guard Shabazz Napier, who was acquired on draft night.

So there are obviously plenty of slots to fill, and on Monday, the Heat began tipping their hand on who will get those jobs.

Yahoo Sports reported that Granger would receive a deal worth about $2 million annually. McRoberts' agent, Mike Conley Sr., said his client would get the full mid-level exception, starting at about $5.3 million next season.

Contracts begin getting signed Thursday.

McRoberts averaged 8.5 points in 78 starts for Charlotte last season, and raised Miami's ire in the playoffs by leveling James with an elbow that some Heat players said looked intentional. McRoberts was issued only a common foul at the time, but the NBA upgraded it to a flagrant-2 and fined him $20,000.

Miami will be McRoberts' sixth club.

Granger has a bit of playoff bad-blood history with Miami as well, most notably in 2012 when he was with the Indiana Pacers. The Heat said at the time Granger was instigating; the Pacers said he was just showing toughness.

Granger has been limited to 46 games over the past two regular seasons. He spent virtually his entire career to date with Indiana, before going to the Los Angeles Clippers for part of last season.