The Miami Heat’s offseason plans have shifted into a very specific lane: more shooting, more spacing, and more help around Giannis Antetokounmpo after their blockbuster trade for the former Milwaukee Bucks superstar.
That search has put Klay Thompson at the top of Miami’s board. The four-time NBA champion is being viewed as the Heat’s leading target to upgrade the perimeter, and ESPN’s Shams Charania laid out the situation this way: “They hope not.
The Miami Heat's number one priority right now is to acquire shooting. And they found their No. 1 target for that...
Klay Thompson. The problem is Klay Thompson has one year left on his Mavs contract so they're exploring whether they can trade for him, whether this could end up in a buyout, we'll see over the next several weeks," ESPN's Shams Charania said.
Bradley Beal is also in the mix. Miami has shown interest in the three-time All-Star, and that interest reportedly goes both ways.
As Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters wrote: “The Heat reportedly have interest in Beal, and according to Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, the interest is mutual. Miami missed out on James but still managed to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Now the Heat are looking for some perimeter scoring to bolster the roster,” Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters wrote.
Boston has entered the picture, too. The Celtics have also shown recent interest in Beal, and both teams could potentially land him on a veteran minimum deal.
NBA Evan Sidery reported: “The Celtics and Heat expressed recent interest in signing Bradley Beal on a veteran’s minimum deal. Beal, who missed most of last season with a hip fracture, would like to join a title contender in the final few years of his career,” NBA Evan Sidery wrote.
For Miami and Boston, Beal checks the same boxes: shooting, scoring, and the kind of offensive flexibility that can open the floor for higher-usage stars. He’s also chasing a shot at an NBA championship, and both teams can offer a path there.
Beal has made $342 million over the course of his NBA career, and the fit makes sense for different reasons in each city. Boston is thinking ahead to life after Jaylen Brown, while Miami is still trying to build the right shooting around Antetokounmpo.
For now, the Heat and Celtics are two teams to watch as the market for one of the top remaining free agents takes shape.
In Other News...
Heat Just Lost One Of Its Most Talked About Offseason Paths
One of the more intriguing Heat offseason possibilities appears to be off the board, at least for now, after Sacramento Kings reporter Jason Anderson said the Kings have no interest in a buyout agreement for Zach LaVine if he is not traded before the season starts. That shuts down a path that had kept Miami in the conversation, with LaVine's situation drawing attention as the Heat continued working through the final stages of roster construction.
Miami still has business to handle before opening night, with the front office needing to add at least two more players, but there is no indication of a final direction yet. The team has not made definitive decisions, and with the LaVine route seemingly closed, the search may shift toward other options as the Heat look to round out the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Giannis Already Faces Massive Pressure In Miami
Giannis Antetokounmpo is already being framed as one of the NBAs biggest pressure points heading into the 2026-27 season, and Miami is a big reason why. The move to bring him in instantly changed the Heats trajectory, putting the franchise in win-now mode and raising the stakes around every decision that followed the deal.
With the roster now built around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the expectation is no longer just to contend, but to make a serious run in the postseason. For Miami, that kind of ambition comes with a familiar burden, and it leaves little room for anything short of success. [Read more 🡒]
Dwyane Wade Just Revealed How Close Heat Came To Losing Him Early
Dwyane Wades latest story about his body is a reminder of just how fragile the early years of a Heat icons career really were. On his podcast, Wade opened up about the left knee injury that began when he was 19, when surgery left him without a meniscus and forced him into a long stretch of managing pain, rebuilding strength and adjusting his game around a problem that never truly went away.
What makes the revelation hit harder is how little he knew at the time about what it all meant for his future. Wade said he was told there was a window of about five good years before the knee would start to become an issue, and he spent the rest of his career fighting to stay ahead of it with trainers, rehab and more surgeries than most players would ever want to count. For Miami, it is a striking look back at a star who gave the franchise everything while quietly carrying a career-threatening burden. [Read more 🡒]