Miami Heat ‘Free-agent Focus’: Tayshaun Prince

(When the lockout ends, the Miami Heat will be limited to no more than the mid-level exception to spend in free agency, which should fall somewhere in the $5.5 million range. That’s if it exists at all in a new collective-bargaining agreement. Otherwise, there might only be the veteran minimum to spend, which would be roughly $1 million for 2011-12. This is the eighth in a series of evaluations of potential free-agent targets.) 2010-11 salary: $11.1 million. The case for: As much as anything, this comes down to where Prince believes he stands in his career, as a featured starter or a supporting player on a contender. While there has been a dip in productivity in recent seasons, there still are many skills the Heat would embrace, from the defense to the rebounding to the polished post play. The case against: There are plenty of obstacles in place, from a severe reduction in salary to the reality of a bench role behind Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Then there is the issue of wh...