The Miami Heat’s season may end up turning on a familiar name, and it isn’t the newest headliner in the building.
Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo in the mix, Andrew Wiggins is still being viewed as a player who could matter a lot in Miami’s 2026-27 picture. At 31, the former No. 1 pick is heading into his second full season with the Heat after coming over from the Golden State Warriors in the Jimmy Butler deal, and the expectation is that he remains a major part of the rotation.
Miami is still trying to find another star to put next to Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo after missing out on LeBron James, who moved from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Philadelphia 76ers. One name in that search is DeMar DeRozan, who spent last season with the Sacramento Kings.
He remains a workable option, though there are fair questions about how much is left in the tank. Even so, he did average 18 points last season.
If the Heat can’t land a player in that mold, Wiggins becomes the obvious answer as the third option.
That’s not a bad fallback. Wiggins is entering his 13th season and is the same age as Antetokounmpo. Drafted No. 1 by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014 after one season at Kansas, he has had a strong career, even if some still believe he hasn’t fully matched the hype that followed him into the league.
The résumé is there: Rookie of the Year, an All-Star nod with the Warriors in 2021-22, and a career scoring average of 18.2 points per game. And there’s still a case that he has more to give. Last season in Miami, Wiggins posted 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists while sharing the floor with Adebayo and Tyler Herro, who is now in Milwaukee.
That gives Miami another chance to see Wiggins do what he’s been capable of for years: settle into a secondary role and make it count.
In Other News...
Nikola Jovic Still Has Something Big To Prove In Miami
Nikola Jovic enters the next chapter of his Heat career with real security and real pressure. The Serbian forward signed a four-year, fully guaranteed extension last summer, and his salary is set to climb starting in the upcoming season, a sign Miami still believes there is something worth investing in.
Jovic has long been viewed as a player whose skill set could fit in South Florida, but the promise has been slowed by injuries and uneven defense. He has yet to reach 50 games in a season, and while the Heat still see him as a potential future contributor, the patience attached to that belief may not last forever if the development does not start to match the contract. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Riley Faces A Heat Decision Fans Will Strongly Debate
The Heat have already reshaped themselves around the arrival of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the ripple effects keep going. With several familiar faces sent out in deals and Norman Powell gone in free agency, Miami is still looking for the kind of depth that can make a star-heavy roster feel complete, especially on the wing and in the half court.
One path under consideration would cost the Heat a young piece in Nikola Jovic, which is where the debate starts to get interesting. The front office is also weighing a different route that keeps Jovic in place while leaning on the free-agent market for another proven scorer, and for a team trying to balance urgency with long-term flexibility, this could become one of those roster calls fans argue about well after the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]