The Miami Heat had a chance to go a couple different directions this week, and the choice they made says plenty about what they want this roster to look like around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Miami landed Klay Thompson on Friday afternoon on a two-year, $13 million deal after he was waived by the Dallas Mavericks. Minutes later, DeMar DeRozan came off the board too, signing with the Denver Nuggets on a one-year, $3.9 million deal. That sequence turned what had been a lingering offseason question into a clean debate: did Pat Riley pick the better fit, or did he pass on the cheaper veteran?
The Heat already made the loudest move of their summer by bringing in Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. That trade cost Miami four players and also sent Norman Powell to the Chicago Bulls in free agency, leaving the roster thinner than before and raising plenty of concern about depth. Entering Friday, three standard roster spots were still open, and it was clear the front office could still have one more move waiting.
Thompson is the kind of addition that makes immediate sense on paper. He brings championship experience, dependable three-point shooting and another scoring threat to take pressure off Antetokounmpo.
Miami also avoided having to part with anything beyond the contract itself. Dallas initially did not seem eager to waive Thompson in a buyout, and Nikola Jovic could have been included in a potential deal.
Instead, that path never materialized, and the Heat were able to bring Thompson in without sending out compensation.
DeRozan, 36, offered a different kind of appeal. He had recently been waived by the Sacramento Kings after reaching a buyout agreement earlier in the offseason, which made him available to any team.
He ended up in Denver, but his production still looked strong: 18.4 points per game and 77 starts last season. His availability has long been one of his calling cards, and he would have given Miami another reliable scorer who could have mixed into the forward rotation alongside Andrew Wiggins.
That’s the part of this decision that makes the comparison so interesting. DeRozan would have come much cheaper, and his salary with Denver was only $3.9 million. For a team that still needs help, that matters.
But Miami’s bigger picture has already changed. The Antetokounmpo trade brought in multiple players under 25, and adding Thompson doesn’t exactly signal a youth movement.
DeRozan wouldn’t have either. In the end, though, Thompson may still be the cleaner basketball fit.
His shooting can open the floor for Antetokounmpo, and he gives the Heat a veteran perimeter presence who can make strong defensive plays. DeRozan may have been the better bargain.
Thompson looks like the better match.
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 🡒]