The Miami Heat will enter a new chapter of their franchise in the upcoming season after losing superstar LeBron James this summer, fueling questions about their ability to contend for a title without the four-time Most Valuable Player.
The Heat made the finals the past four seasons, winning the title in the 2012 and 2013 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, before losing to Tim Duncan and co. last season.
However, James, who decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the big reason why Miami won the Eastern Conference title over the past four seasons.
Most analysts are convinced that winning the Eastern Conference title is a long shot for the Heat, considering the fact that they need to beat the James-led Cavaliers and the much-improved Chicago Bulls, who signed veteran center Pau Gasol this summer.
But while they are not expected to contend for the title this season, the Heat are tipped to remain among the top teams in the Eastern Conference after making several moves this summer to fill in the void James left.
Miami managed to convince superstar Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to stay, while also acquiring veteran small forward Luol Deng, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal as reported by ESPN.
Deng, who averaged 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in his first 10 seasons in the league, is expected to take James' spot in their starting lineup next season.
Yahoo! Sports also reported on Wednesday that the Heat reached a deal with Shannon Brown, who averaged 7.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in his first nine seasons in the league.
Aside from Deng and Brown, the Heat also acquired Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts earlier in the season, while also picking former two-time NCAA national champion, Shabazz Napier, in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Former Heat forward, James Jones, who also moved to Cleveland this offseason, said in an interview with the Florida South Sun Sentinel that losing James was a big blow for Miami, but he is still convinced that the team will be a tough nut to crack next season.
"They have some great talent that they've added. They don't need to exhale. They're just going to continue to contend," said Jones, who spent the past six seasons in Miami. "That's what they've built. I think the game changes and you have to adjust, but when you have guys of that competitive nature, the guys that are there, exhaling is not what they want."