The Miami Heat have already done plenty of the heavy lifting this summer, and their work around Giannis Antetokounmpo has centered on one clear idea: give him shooting and enough reliable perimeter help to keep defenses honest.
That plan led Miami to short-term deals with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson, two wings who bring the kind of floor spacing the Heat were clearly chasing after their early July trade for the two-time MVP. Hardaway has hit 36.6% of his career threes, while Thompson sits at 38.3%.
Now Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus has floated another name into the mix, and it’s a familiar one for Heat fans. Pincus suggested a reunion with Gabe Vincent, the former Lakers point guard who could make sense as another backcourt piece for Miami.
“(Gabe) Vincent is an experienced veteran guard with a strong playoff resume with the Miami Heat,” Pincus wrote Monday. “He spent the last few years with the Los Angeles Lakers as an occasional starter, but was sent to the Atlanta Hawks before the trade deadline.”
Pincus also pointed to the uneven shooting split from Vincent’s time away from Miami. “While he shot a steady 36.9% from three-point range for the Lakers, the fit wasn't seamless in Atlanta, where he dropped to 30%.
In the right situation, Vincent should be able to help a team in need of veteran bench leadership. The Heat seem quite thin at point guard behind Davion Mitchell; Vincent has a history with the franchise and seems a viable fit.”
Vincent’s run with the Lakers ended ahead of last season’s Feb. 5 deadline, when Los Angeles sent him and a 2032 second-round pick to Atlanta in a deal for Luke Kennard.
His shooting improved as that Lakers stint went on - he started at 10.7% from deep in his first season with the team before climbing to 36.9% over his final 29 games - but his issues creating off the dribble and defending the ball made him a tough fit to keep.
There’s also a natural Miami connection here. Vincent started his NBA career with the Heat and was a dependable two-way piece on two Miami teams that reached the NBA Finals. A return to the Eastern Conference would give both sides something to think about.
For now, Vincent remains on the market, waiting for his next NBA stop.
In Other News...
Heat Herro Decision Says A Lot About Miamis Real Plan
Tyler Herros time in Miami ended after seven seasons, closing a run that made him one of the most recognizable young players of the franchises recent era. For a Heat team that has spent years balancing competitiveness with flexibility, his name carried real weight in any roster conversation, especially once reports surfaced that Miami had at least considered keeping him around on a smaller contract extension.
Instead, the Heat moved in a very different direction, sending Herro to Milwaukee as part of the deal that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Florida. The decision says plenty about how aggressively Miami viewed its next step, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over the roster now: how much of the present the Heat were willing to sacrifice to chase the kind of centerpiece that changes everything. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Could Revisit A Steph Curry Reunion Fans Barely Got To See
As NBA training camp approaches, a handful of familiar names are still sitting in free agency, and the possibilities are starting to take shape. Kevin Love is reportedly interested in playing another season, with Minnesota among the teams that could make sense, while Victor Oladipo has also signaled a desire to get back into the league after injury, with the Heat keeping tabs on his comeback effort.
Another veteran drawing attention is Seth Curry, who remains a free agent while weighing a return to the Warriors and a chance to share the floor with his brother Steph Curry again. For Miami, it is part of the broader late-summer picture around the league, with former All-Stars still looking for the right landing spot and a few situations left open as camp gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Davion Mitchell Just Gave Heat Fans A Bigger Reason To Watch
Davion Mitchell is already giving Heat fans one more storyline to track as the season approaches. The guard, expected to open as Miamis starting point man, recently posted a beach message that seemed to point toward a bigger individual goal, and it fits the broader expectation that he can build on a productive previous season while sharing the floor with several star teammates.
Mitchells path to a bigger role is pretty clear on paper. With defenses likely focused on Miamis main options, he should get more chances to make plays and boost his offense, but how much that translates into a real leap is still the open question. For a team that always seems to be balancing urgency and upside, Mitchell has become one of the more interesting pieces to watch. [Read more 🡒]