Miami Heat NBA 2015 news: Dunleavy could be Riley's Missing Link

Mike DunleavyWikipedia

One of the things that the Miami Heat are looking for by next season is a shooter. Pat Riley said it himself that if he could get his hands on a player similar to Klay Thompson then well and good.

Of course, the Heat cannot lay their hands on Klay Thompson who will certainly be kept by the Golden State Warriors at all cost. So where could Riley and the Heat search for one.

Well they could use it in the coming NBA Draft and skim through the available players once it is their turn. The Heat are scheduled to pick 10th.

If that fails to net one, then they can always turn to the coming NBA Draft which seems to be filled with lots of free agents that the Heat could use.

Could Mike Dunleavy be someone to fill in that need?

Dunleavy is no spring chicken. He has been in the NBA for 13 years now and showed his shooting prowess for the Chicago Bulls in the 2014-15 NBA season. A concern could be his age (Dunleavy is set to turn 35 on September 15) but that apparently did not show during his stint with the Bulls.

Also despite his age, Dunleavy miraculously healthy throughout and even started in 63 games for the Bulls.

Why would the Heat take a chance on Dunleavy? Well for one thing, he fits the salary cap constraints the Heat find themselves in. He made $3 million last year with the Bulls and stands to be an affordable recruit if the Heat are indeed looking for a reliable shooter to free up the inside.

He has a decent outside shot, showing a 43.5 percent clip from the field and 40.7 percent from rainbow territory. Those numbers could be something to consider for Riley if he is truly wishing to snag a small forward who can swish the hoop from afar.