The Heat spent the offseason swinging for the fences, and the result is a roster that looks loaded with names but still comes with a lot of moving parts.
Miami’s biggest move was the blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, a deal that finally gave Pat Riley the kind of headliner he’s spent years chasing. The cost was steep.
The Bucks got Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and 2025 lottery pick Jakučionis in the trade, and Miami also moved on from Norman Powell after his lone season in Erik Spoelstra’s system ended with an All-Star nod. Terry Rozier was formally waived as he faces federal charges tied to the gambling scandal that hit the NBA around this time last year.
To support Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the Heat then went looking for shooting. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson arrived in free agency, with Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins also expected to help space the floor around Miami’s new star frontcourt.
Bobby Portis came over in the Giannis deal as well, giving the Heat a backup for both Antetokounmpo and Adebayo and another body for jumbo lineups if Spoelstra decides to lean into them. The front office also added Richards as depth at center, while Pelle Larson, Nikola Jović and Simone Fontecchio remain part of the mix from last season.
Even with all that, an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated that this doesn’t look like a finished product yet.
“I have no idea how Miami is going to play,” the scout said to Sports Illustrated of the new-look Heat. “I don't know how the pieces fit together, but I don't think Miami is seeing it as these fit together. I think they're seeing it as we have assets that as the year goes on, we're going to find what piece is going to complement these two guys and then try to see what we can do together.”
The biggest issue, in the scout’s view, is pretty clear: Miami still needs a true table-setter. The Heat have star power, defense and shooting, but they don’t have an obvious traditional point guard to organize it all.
“They need playmaking and shooting,” the scout expressed to SI. “I mean, those two, Adebayo and Antetokounmpo, it's going to be interesting seeing them playing together.
Defensively, they're going to be really good inside. But they really need a guard that can create and get his own shot, but also find those two guys.
There's only so much of Giannis just taking the ball up the court by himself. You saw what happened in Milwaukee, the ability to take the ball up the court himself-it's not like they won anything in the last few years.
“I know they really like Mitchell, but he's a sixth man. He's not a starting point guard.
I'm excited to see Thompson play with them. I'm excited to see that.
I think there is still something left. He’s not the defender he used to be, but he can still make a shot.
But again, Klay needs somebody to get him a shot. So who is making these plays for these three guys?
“I think it's just, ‘We got Giannis. We were able to keep Bam.
Now we signed a shooter, but this is going to be a revolving situation to figure out how to finish out the roster.’ I don't know.
I still think they're going to work to get a point guard to run this thing.”
That uncertainty lines up with the broader view of the roster. Miami is better than it was a year ago, but the questions are real: how the playmaking works, how much depth is really there, and how smoothly Antetokounmpo fits next to Adebayo, two players who both want to operate in the paint.
There’s more optimism in Miami now than there has been in a while. Still, this group looks like a work in progress, not a finished contender, especially in an East that has gotten stronger.
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