Mike Miller

The veteran forward again found himself the victim of a cost-cutting measure of an organization boasting LeBron James on the payroll, only this time, the Cavaliers swapped Miller, Brendan Haywood, and two second-round picks for a pair of trade exceptions and cash from the Blazers. If general manager Neil Olshey doesn't engineer a buyout or waive Miller outright, the 35-year-old will provide the offense with a noted three-point bomber, albeit one who hit at a career-worst 33 percent clip from deep last season. His health, or lack thereof, will ultimately determine if Miller becomes a fan favorite, as he has been at most of the previous six destinations he's played in his 15-year career.

Mike Miller has rejoined his friend LeBron James after a year apart. The small forward helped James win championships in 2012 and 2013 with the Heat, but he spent last year with the Memphis Grizzlies after being amnestied by the Heat. For the first time in his 14-year career, Miller was healthy enough to play in all 82 games. He averaged 7.1 points, 1.3 three-pointers, 2.5 rebounds (the lowest average of his career), and 1.6 assists in 21 minutes per game. Miller hit 48 percent of his field goals, 46 percent on three-pointers, and 82 percent of his free throws. After being a featured scorer in his first stint with the Grizzlies (from 2002 to 2008), Miller was asked to simply provide scoring off the bench last season. The 6-8 forward should be a designated three-point shooter on the Cavaliers as well. Because his minutes will stay about the same this season, Miller's production will likely hold steady. He's 34 years old and has suffered a litany of injuries over his career. In his dotage, Miller can still be used in fantasy leagues as a three-point streamer who will be capable of a big game or two. In standard-sized leagues, the new Cavalier will not hold much value.

Miller comes back to Memphis after winning a couple of rings with the Heat the last two seasons. The Grizzlies are a team in need of perimeter shooting and there are few better than Miller, who has averaged 40.6 percent from 3-point range during a 13-year career. Injuries (back and both knees) have prevented him from playing a full season since 2008-09, and it's been a long time since any team or coach relied on Miller for anything more than a limited role as a bench scorer. If he can stay healthy, giving Memphis 60-70 games as a consistent 3-point threat and floor-spacer, this is a good add for the Grizzlies.

Miller hit an NBA Finals-record seven threes off the bench in Game Five, helping Miami pull away from OKC. Unfortunately, such performances have been few and far between; Miller's playing time has been extremely limited due to a series of injuries. There was talk that the latest malady - a long-running back problem - would force his retirement, but that seems to be off the table for now.

The Heat could have really used Mike Miller down the stretch last season. Unfortunately for Miami, the often-injured Miller found himself hurt again and missed more than 40 games. The 6-8 sharp-shooter did average 5.6 PPG and 4.5 rebounds in only 41 games for the Heat, though. The hope in Miami is that Miller can stay healthy, as he can play many positions and stretch the floor with his shooting ability.

Miller profiles as one of the best possible complements to the All-Star team that's been assembled in Miami. Last year, despite averaging only 10.8 points per game with Washington, Miller managed to post numbers that placed him right in the middle of the fantasy pack on a per-game basis. His field goal percentage (50.1) and rebounding numbers (6.2 per game) seem to belong to a much larger man than Miller – or at least to one who spends more time under the basket. With almost half his field goal attempts coming from behind the arc (at a career conversion rate of 40.5%), "under the basket" doesn't seem like where you'd generally find Miller. One thing about Miller – not so much a concern as an oddity – is simply the question of where his shots have gone. After peaking at 14.4 in the 2006-07 season, he's reached only a high of eight these last two years. That's unlikely to change in Miami.

Miller's one year in Minnesota after several in Memphis did not fit with the rest of his career in that he just stopped shooting - which is odd considering he is known as one of the NBA's best shooters, even if he shot a sub-par (for him) 38 percent from three in 2008-09. Apparently he and the Wolves decided he would best serve the team if he focused more on setting up his teammates (he averaged a career high 4.5 apg last year) and rebounding. But Miller only averaged 9.9 ppg in 2008-09, easily the worst scoring average in his career. Chances are the Wizards will ask Miller to shoot more this season.

One of the NBA’s top gunners, Miller will ply his trade in Minnesota this season after being included in the deal that sent O.J. Mayo to Memphis and Kevin Love to the T-Wolves. On paper, he’s a great fit in Minnesota, as the primary scoring option on the wing, complementing a strong presence in the middle in Al Jefferson and slashing backcourt players like Randy Foye and Rashad McCants. And Love’s most NBA-ready skill is his passing – look for the rookie to rack up quite a few assists this year passing out of the high post to an open Miller. On this team, Miller won’t need to carry the offense, which could mean a decrease in overall scoring – but being in a rotation that will almost certainly be better than the one Memphis rolled out last year should mean more assists, better shooting percentages and more threes.

A role-player for most of his career to date, Miller stepped into the forefront last season when Pau Gasol, Damon Stoudamire and others were forced to the wayside by injuries. His performance – new career-highs of 18.5 points, 5.4 boards, 4.3 assists and a shade under three threes per game – earned him a spot with LeBron, Kobe and ‘Melo on Team USA at the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas, and the reputation of being one of the NBA’s best pure shooters. It’ll be interesting to see if Miller can build on his success in the year ahead. On the one hand, he’ll be playing in Marc Iavaroni’s Euro-style offense, which should get him plenty of open looks, and the addition of point guard Mike Conley can only help in that regard. But on the other, Gasol will be back at 100 percent, and with him as the focus on offense, along with emerging star Rudy Gay and import Juan Carlos Navarro around, Miller might not get the same opportunity to shine this year.

The reigning sixth man of the year, Miller averaged 13.7 points off the bench last year, tops in the NBA. With last year’s starting small forward Shane Battier in Houston, Miller should start at small forward but will be competing for the job with first-round pick Rudy Gay. Either way, Miller will see plenty of minutes (34 mpg last year) and will continue to stretch the defense with his three-point marksmanship. Miller averaged an impressive 1.9 threes per game last year and that number could improve with if he plays starter’s minutes.

Miller emerged as the best fantasy option among Grizzlies swingmen last season out of a logjam that included James Posey, Bonzi Wells, and Shane Battier. Miller’s combination of size (6-8, 218 pounds), shooting ability (13.4 points, 50.5% from the field, 1.8 treys), and ballhandling (2.9 assists per, spending some time as backup PG) gave him solid value for both the Grizz and fantasy squads. With Posey and Wells both gone this offseason, replaced by Eddie Jones, Miller looks to have a larger and more consistent role this season. Health concerns (bad back) could be an issue, but other than that Miller looks to be a solid source of points and treys with decent all-around contributions again this season.

Back problems derailed Miller's 2003-04 season, and Memphis' depth at both the shooting guard and small forward spot (James Posey, Bonzi Wells and Shane Battier can also play both spots) also limited his playing time even when he was healthy. But Miller makes this list on the strength of his all-around game. He can score, hit the three, pass the ball and rebound. And GM Jerry West liked him enough to part with Drew Gooden and Gordan Giricek. In sum, if Miller can stay healthy and average even 30 minutes per game in Hubie Brown's deep rotation, he'll be a very useful fantasy option all but the shallowest of leagues.

Miller is expected to be the Grizzlies' opening day starter and key weapon offensively. He is one of the most versatile and young dynamic players in the league, fully capable of shooting from the outside, driving to the hoop, or dishing to a teammate. Miller earned the 2000-01 NBA Rookie of the Year, but could not have an opportunity to achieve his full potential in Orlando, where the offense runs through NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady. Now, Miller will have a chance to touch the ball in each possession under Head Coach Hubie Brown's motion offense. He has improved his scoring and rebounding in each of his three seasons in the league, and should continue that trend. He could post 16-17 points and 5 boards a game in 2003.