Report: McRoberts and Granger committed to Heat with 'strong belief' LeBron will be teammate

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Well here's something not at all shocking but worth noting: Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger both agreed to deals with the Miami Heat under the belief that LeBron James will be their teammate.

It's been no secret that James has demanded extra help from Pat Riley and Heat ownership beyond just his Big Three compatriots Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. That's part of the reason Wade, Bosh and Udonis Haslem agreed to opt out with the idea they'd sign new deals together, allowing Miami greater financial flexibility in the process.

Due to James desiring a maximum contract, however, how much the Heat have to spend on a supporting cast has remained somewhat murky. The deals that McRoberts and Granger signed, however, point to the Heat thinking they'll be over the cap once James, Wade, Bosh, Haslem and any other players whose rights they maintain are brought back.

While the deals don't have to be done via the exceptions, it's instructive that McRoberts signed for the full mid-level exception and Granger signed for the bi-annual exception. Those point to the Heat believing they will move above the cap before signing those players but remaining below the luxury tax "apron" (which is roughly $18 million above the cap).

Now the question becomes whether Wade, Bosh - assuming he doesn't jet for Houston first - McRoberts, Granger, James-favorite Shabazz Napier and any other additions are enough to convince James that Miami remains the right place for him. James is expected to meet with Riley within the next couple of days (see two posts below), and it's certainly possible he looks to add another name or two at the veteran minimum before then.