The Miami Heat are making sure Giannis Antetokounmpo has a familiar face nearby as he settles in. On Friday, the team was reported to be hiring Vin Baker as an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra’s staff, a move that brings in someone who spent the last eight seasons on the Milwaukee Bucks bench.
That connection matters here. Baker was around Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, and the two developed a strong relationship during that stretch. Now Baker follows Antetokounmpo to Miami, where the Heat are clearly trying to smooth the transition for their newest star.
Baker’s path to this point has plenty of NBA mileage. He was a first-round pick by the Bucks in 1993 and played until 2003, with stops in Seattle, New York, Boston, Houston and Los Angeles before moving into coaching.
Miami’s bench has long been a landing spot for respected assistants, and Baker joins a line that includes David Fizdale, Stan Van Gundy, Keith Askins, Juwan Howard and current assistant Chris Quinn.
The Heat are also expected to add another major name in Klay Thompson. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Miami is expected to sign the four-time NBA champion and three-point specialist to a two-year, $13 million contract with a player option after he clears waivers following a contract buyout with the Dallas Mavericks.
For a team that needs more shooting, that would be a clean fit. President Pat Riley and the front office are working to bring in one of the best outside shooters the league has ever seen.
Thompson is coming off a rough season by his standards. He averaged 11.7 points on 39.3 percent shooting, along with 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 69 games, including eight starts. His outlook shifted sharply after the surprise Luka Doncic blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Instead of joining a team built around a superstar, Thompson would be stepping into a reset. The Heat had already been on his radar once LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and now he’d be expected to help space the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, both of whom do most of their damage in the paint.
That’s where Thompson still brings real value. He has shot 40.9 percent from three for his career, and Miami’s interest is rooted in exactly that kind of firepower.
In Other News...
Heat Title Hype Now Hinges On One Big Roster Question
The Heat have spent the offseason reshaping their roster with an unmistakable win-now edge, adding proven championship experience and keeping Andrew Wiggins in the fold on a new extension. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. are among the names now linked to Miami, a clear sign the organization is pushing its chips in ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season and trying to build a group with real playoff bite.
The biggest remaining question is how much farther the front office can go in turning that talent into a finished contender. Klay Thompson is reportedly working through a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks and is expected to land in Miami, which would add another veteran scorer and a very different kind of floor-spacing threat to a roster already undergoing major change. What happens next could determine whether this summer is remembered as a strong setup or the point when the Heat finally push the project over the top. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompsons Next Role Just Reshaped Miamis Free Agency Plans
Miamis offseason plan has started to tilt around a familiar kind of question for this front office: fit. With Klay Thompson expected to land in South Florida on a two-year deal after his buyout with the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat are looking at a lineup that adds more shooting and spacing, and that new shape appears to have influenced how theyve approached the rest of free agency.
DeMar DeRozan reportedly viewed that arrangement as part of the problem, since the Heats roster composition and Thompsons anticipated role at shooting guard made it hard to see where DeRozan would slot in cleanly. He ultimately chose Denver instead, leaving Miami with a clearer picture of what it wants, even if the ripple effects of that decision are still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Still Have One Important Roster Move Left
The Heat have been busy reshaping the roster, and the additions of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson have given Miami a far different look heading into the season. Even with those headline moves, there is still a practical question hanging over the group: how to shore up the bench after losing several players and keep the rotation from looking thin once the season gets rolling.
Miami still has two open roster spots, and one of them could be used before opening night to give the team a little more balance. Nick Richards would address size and interior depth, Bruce Brown Jr. would bring versatility and defensive help, and Ochai Agbaji offers another kind of wing option, leaving the Heat with a decision that could shape how sturdy the roster feels beyond the top names. [Read more 🡒]