If the Miami Heat are still searching for a way to patch their playmaking issues, Ben Simmons has become the kind of name that would have sounded far-fetched not long ago. It might not be the glamorous answer, and it would probably read as a desperation move to plenty of people, but it also might be the cleanest swing the Heat can take after missing out on LeBron James.
That’s the strange part here: the fit is easier to see than the optics. Simmons would bring the secondary ball-handling and passing that Miami wanted in a LeBron scenario, and that alone makes him worth a hard look.
The downside is obvious, too. There are real questions about whether he can still hold up at an NBA level and whether his body can survive a full season.
Those concerns are fair, especially since Simmons has been out of the league since 20024-25 NBA season. Still, the idea of a low-cost gamble starts to make sense when the upside is tied to one specific skill set: playmaking. After he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, taking a flier on Simmons may not be that terrible of an idea.
At this stage of roster building, Miami is looking for edges wherever it can find them. Simmons could be one of those bets.
A return to the NBA would likely begin with little more than a training camp invite, and there’s already reporting that he may have that opportunity from another team. Even so, the fact that he reportedly lives in Miami gives the Heat at least a little extra logic as a possible landing spot.
The basketball fit is the real draw. Simmons could function as a backup forward while also giving the Heat another passer, which is not a small thing for a team trying to sharpen its offensive options. His offense has long been a mess, and his confidence cratered before he fell out of the league, but his passing never really disappeared.
Even in those rough stretches, Simmons was still viewed as one of the game’s better playmakers when he was on the floor. If Miami can get even a stripped-down version of that in short bursts, the idea starts to look less like a stunt and more like a worthwhile experiment.
If Simmons wants a path back, a Heat opportunity would probably appeal to him. And for Miami, the bigger question is whether the front office is willing to test it. A non-guaranteed training camp invite would hardly be a major commitment, and it’s fair to wonder what the downside really is.
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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 🡒]
Heat Camp Battle Could Decide Which Young Talent Gets Left Out
Training camp is shaping up as a real sorting exercise for the Heat, with the roster still leaving room for late decisions and a few young players trying to carve out a place. Miami already has 12 players confirmed, and the mix of two-way guys and free agents around the edges means the final spots are going to be earned, not handed out. For a team that tends to value fit, defensive reliability and developmental upside all at once, even a back-end roster battle can carry real weight.
Vlad Goldin, Tre White and others will get evaluated with that in mind, because the Heat are not just filling space, they are trying to decide which player can actually contribute if called upon. The conversation is less about headline names than about which prospect best matches what Miami needs from the last openings on the roster, and the answer could leave one promising young talent on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]