The Miami Heat have started the process of courting LeBron James with an aggressive attempt to move up in Thursday's NBA draft, with their target being former UConn point guard Shabazz Napier, league sources said.

James' agent told the Heat on Tuesday that the four-time NBA MVP will opt out of his contract and become a free agent July 1. The move, however, does not mean James has decided to leave Miami, sources said.

Both James and the Heat are fans of Napier.

James tweeted during the NCAA title game in April: "No way u take a PG in the lottery before Napier."

Heat president Pat Riley, meanwhile, also is fond of Napier. Riley likes four-year players who can come in and contribute right away.

Right after the NBA Finals, Riley flew out to work out Napier, a Heat source told ESPN.com. After the workout, the Heat tried to convince the former Huskies star to stop his workouts so that he'd fall to the Heat with pick No. 26.

The Heat, though, are probably too late.

Napier has been one of the hottest names in the NBA draft the past few weeks, and there's almost no chance he falls to the 26th pick.