The Miami Heat’s offseason is finally inching toward its next checkpoint. With the schedule set to drop this week, training camp is right around the corner, and the real intrigue now sits at the back end of the roster.
That’s where the fight for the 14th spot comes in. The assumption, at least for now, is that a veteran like Klay Thompson would fill the 13th slot, while the 15th spot is expected to stay open.
With Miami’s financial situation tied to the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the hard cap at the first apron, the margins are tight. The bottom of the roster is where decisions get real.
The first layer of that conversation starts with the current group that looks locked in. Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith, Pelle Larrson and Ryan Conwell make up one guard-heavy piece of the puzzle.
Andrew Wiggins, Tim Hardaway Jr., Simone Fontecchio and Myron Gardner are in the next wave. Then there’s the frontcourt core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Bobby Portis and Nikola Jovic.
That’s 12 names that appear set.
From there, Miami’s options branch out into free agents, possible trades and two-way players who could push for a standard contract.
Among the two-way candidates, Vlad Goldin has the clearest path to making noise. The 7-footer showed shot-blocking ability in summer league and flashed some finishing touch when he got downhill and had room to rise.
But the concerns are hard to ignore: footspeed, vertical burst, touch around the rim and rebounding all leave questions. Even with the size, it’s difficult to see Miami giving him a standard deal when there are other bigs on two-way contracts around the league who might offer more.
Tre has also put himself in the mix, and the case for him is built on poise and all-around steadiness. He was described as a leader in college and during summer league, kept teammates engaged, handled pressure and showed some real feel as a downhill guard.
The package included a floater, a pull-up midrange jumper and a three-point mark of 43.8%. Defensively, he brought full-court pressure for 94 feet.
Still, the roster context matters. With Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith and Ryan Conwell already in the guard mix, the question becomes why commit a standard spot to another shorter guard when he could remain stashed in Sioux Falls if needed.
Tre White, though, sounds like the strongest bet to stick. At 6-foot-7, he brought energy, defense and production in summer league.
He shot 40% from deep, which ranked fifth on the team, ran the floor well in transition, and rebounded at a high level for a wing. He moved the ball, made the right reads and rarely gave it away.
He also posted the highest win shares on the team. In other words, he kept checking boxes.
The feeling here is simple: he likely isn’t going anywhere.
Keshad Johnson is another name worth keeping on the radar, especially if Miami wants a small-ball big option now that Erik Spolstra has Giannis and Bam Adebayo anchoring the front line. He was around the team in Las Vegas during summer league, but the fit still looks shaky. The athletic tools are there, but the shooting never developed, the handle didn’t take the next step, and the defense didn’t match expectations.
Then there’s Trevor Keels, who turned in an excellent summer league and showed clear growth from last season inside the Heat’s system. He’s a big wing who can really shoot it, and Miami held him out of the last few games in Las Vegas along with Tre White.
That’s the kind of detail that suggests real consideration. If the Heat don’t land a strong veteran free agent, Keels and White could be the names fighting hardest for the opening.
In Other News...
Heat Face A Sneaky Roster Decision After The Giannis Trade
The Heats post-Giannis roster picture is still settling, and the biggest immediate concern may not be the star power at the top but the depth underneath it. With the bench thinned out and a few openings still to work with, Miami has a chance to add someone who can help stabilize the back end of the roster while fitting the way the team likes to develop talent.
That search appears to be headed toward the two-way market, where Miami has room to be selective about both upside and readiness. The franchise is weighing options who have recent pro or summer-league experience and the kind of profile that could make sense on a team trying to keep its rotation flexible, even after a blockbuster move reshaped the entire roster. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Still Have One Big Giannis Problem To Figure Out
Erik Spoelstra is already talking about the sort of adjustment period Miami has to plan for with Giannis Antetokounmpo, because getting a superstar plugged into a new system is never as simple as dropping him into the lineup and letting the talent sort itself out. The Heat are trying to build the right structure around him, and that means thinking not just about usage, but about the supporting cast, the spacing and the habits that let one of the leagues most dominant players do what he does best.
The point guard picture is part of the puzzle, too. Davion Mitchell is projected to open as the starter, with Dru Smith and Tre Donaldson behind him, and Miami is still considering whether to add another guard to help settle things down. With key three-point shooters gone from last season, the Heat also have to find new sources of floor spacing as they try to develop the kind of lineup balance that can make Antetokounmpo comfortable and dangerous over time. [Read more 🡒]