Rashard Lewis To Sign With Miami Heat Days After Ray Allen Commits To NBA Champions

Rashard Lewis is expected to sign with the Miami Heat just four days after his former teammate Ray Allen committed to joining the defending NBA champions.

The 32-year-old forward has reportedly agreed to sign with the Miami Heat for the veteran minimum salary of $1.35 million per year for two years, the second of which is a player option, ESPN reported Tuesday night.

The Heat were back in the news Tuesday when it was revealed that Rashard Lewis will join his NBA Hall of Fame shoo-in former teammate Ray Allen in Miami, just three days after Allen signed a three-year, $9 million contract with the defending NBA champions.

Rashard Lewis, who had left knee troubles that contributed to a rough season with the Washington Wizards last year, putting up just 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, played with Ray Allen on the Seattle SuperSonics (now the defending Western Conference Champions Oklahoma City Thunder) from 2003 to 2007.

But now Lewis, a two-time All Star, is reportedly headed to South Beach, where he and Ray Allen will play alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in a fight to get the Big Three another championship ring.

And LeBron James is on a mission to help his team -- which is now even better with the addition of Allen and Lewis -- get that second ring.

I know I'm not satisfied with one of these, James told Sports Illustrated shortly after winning the NBA title, when the magazine asked him how it feels to earn an NBA championship ring.

The addition of Rashard Lewis reportedly may have other impacts beyond the skills that he brings to the floor, according to CBS Sports, which reported that it could mean that the Miami Heat are done pursuing Grant Hill.

CBS Sports summed up the acquisition of Rashard Lewis as follows:

Is he a game-changing player? No, but in terms of a low cost veteran off the bench, he's certainly a quality addition. The Heat are able to grab discounts from players and as Ray Allen showed and now Lewis after him, taking less to compete for a trophy is very intriguing to veterans, CBS Sports wrote.

Lewis is a rangy 6-10 shooter that is a career 38.8 percent 3-point shooter. And as everyone saw in the NBA Finals, having 3-point marksmen on the perimeter makes Miami an extremely difficult team to guard. Plus, Erik Spoelstra has expressed a desire to remain with a smaller lineup on the floor and Lewis adds to that versatility. He can stretch between two, and even three positions depending on matchups.

ESPN had further insight into the deal:

Lewis had other suitors and might've been able to get a higher offer elsewhere but was sold on a role with the defending champions after meeting with team president Pat Riley on Sunday in Miami, according to ESPN.

He became the Heat's top priority when free agent center Marcus Camby agreed to a sign-and-trade to go to the New York Knicks. Lewis recently agreed to a $13.7 million buyout from the New Orleans Hornets after they traded for him last month.

Rashard Lewis, an experienced sharpshooter who sat out the final 33 games with the Wizards this year due to ongoing knee issues, will likely sign his new contract with the Heat Wednesday in Miami, according to the Associated Press. 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday is the beginning of the period during which NBA teams may sign free agents this off-season.

Allen has made the most three-pointers in the history of the NBA, while Lewis has sunk the fifth-most threes among active players with 1,690 makes, according to the AP. Rashard Lewis' decision to sign with the Heat will likely be a disappointment to the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers, all of whom were rumored to be interested in him.