The Miami Heat’s latest free-agency surge has put them in a better spot than they were a week ago, but it does not appear to have changed their chances of landing Kyrie Irving.
Miami added several pieces in free agency, headlined by Klay Thompson, and the move came with more financial breathing room than some expected. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald noted that Thompson’s smaller first-year salary helped the Heat keep options open.
“The Heat on Sunday could celebrate not only the addition of five-time All-Star guard Klay Thompson, but also the fact that the organization emerged from the transaction with more flexibility than some might have expected. Because Thompson agreed to a first year salary of $5.6 million, that left the Heat with the ability to fill both the 14th and 15th roster spots," Miami Herald's Barry Jackson wrote.
That flexibility has kept Miami in the conversation for future moves, including at the trade deadline. Irving has been a name that has surfaced in trade chatter, but Heat reporter Ira Winderman poured cold water on the idea of Dallas sending him to Miami.
“You could make the math work with Portis, Nikola Jovic and Davion Mitchell. But Dallas would do that why?
It would mean taking on three more years of Jovic and one more of Portis, plus having to waive three players. So, yes, there is math that could be argued but common sense, and the lack of remaining Heat draft capital after the Giannis trade, speak otherwise.
Other teams probably could offer more, if so inclined,” Heat reporter Ira Winderman said.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line also addressed why Irving keeps coming up in league-wide trade discussion, even though the Mavericks have pushed back on interest.
“The Mavericks, as we've been writing since mid-June, have consistently swatted away trade interest this offseason in nine-times-All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches.
The primary factor fueling that curiosity, of course, is that fact that Irving is 34 and Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is 19. Not your average age gap between the team's two best players,” Stein wrote.
If Miami could somehow bring Irving together with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the roster would look terrifying on paper. But Winderman’s read is that it is not going to happen, and the Heat seem prepared to live with that reality.
Miami still has a strong roster, and point guard remains the one spot with real uncertainty. The Heat want a deep playoff run, but for now, a deal for Irving does not look like part of the plan.
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Mavericks Are Bringing Back A Look Fans Still Argue About
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The timing makes the comeback more notable, with the revival lined up for the 2026-27 season as the City Edition concept reaches a 10th anniversary with Nike. The updated version is expected to carry iridescent Nike swooshes and a JPMorgan Chase advertising patch, part of the league-wide rollout that will put Dallas back in the spotlight with a look that still divides the room. [Read more 🡒]