The Miami Heat are down to a couple of open roster spots, and the decision in front of them is pretty clear: they need to be smart, not flashy.
For now, the sense is they won’t even use the final roster spot, which means the real hunt is for two more players before the season begins. And if you strip away the noise, the Heat’s priorities come into focus fast: they need size, shooting and shot creation. They can probably only check two of those boxes right now.
The biggest name floating around remains Klay Thompson. Miami has been heavily linked to him, and the idea is simple enough - add another volume shooter around a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Bam Adebayo frontcourt and the floor opens up.
The shooting concern around this roster gets talked about like it’s a disaster. It isn’t.
But Thompson would still make life easier.
If Thompson never materializes, the Heat should turn to a secondary creator, someone who can steady the offense when the starters are off the floor. DeMar DeRozan fits that lane.
He’s not the player he used to be, but he is still a flat out bucket getter. In Miami, he wouldn’t need to be one of the main engines.
He could function as a sixth man, come in, settle things down and produce quick offense. The fit alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo would be awkward because of spacing, but the scoring punch would be real.
There’s also a quieter need that deserves just as much attention: more frontcourt size. Right now, the Heat are working with Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, Bobby Portis and Nikola Jovic in the big-man rotation, and that’s not enough over an 82-game season. Someone has to absorb minutes and keep those key guys fresher.
Nick Richards is still out there, and he makes sense as the kind of addition that won’t grab headlines but would matter over time. He’d give Miami another big body, someone who can do his job and soak up minutes without asking for much else.
That may not sound exciting, but it’s useful. It gives the Heat insurance if Jovic doesn’t bounce back from a lackluster last season or if Portis hits a rough patch.
Miami also has to think about keeping its length and athleticism intact while filling out the roster. Davion Mitchell is expected to take a leap as another ball handler, but outside of him, the Heat don’t have a lot of consistent shot creation. The ball will be in Giannis’ hands plenty, yet someone still has to break down defenses when he’s off the floor.
There’s also a good chance the Heat simply wait on Thompson, believing Dallas will buy him out and that he wants to be in Miami. If that plays out, they can keep the 14th spot open for camp competition between a young player and non-roster invitees, with Nick Richards a possibility in that mix. Keshad Johnson could also work his way back in, either on a standard deal or the remaining two-way slot, where Tre Donaldson and Vlad Goldin already occupy the other two spots.
The 15th spot may stay open for tax reasons and to preserve flexibility. That’s a perfectly reasonable approach, even if it leaves some experienced playmaking missing. If that gap isn’t filled now, it may have to be addressed later in the season.
In Other News...
Heat May Have Found The Bench Fit Nikola Jovic Needed
Miamis frontcourt picture is starting to come into focus, with Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Andrew Wiggins anchoring the starting group and Nikola Jovic shifting into a more prominent reserve role. That matters because Jovic has already flashed in the last two seasons, showing enough skill and versatility to suggest he can be more than just a depth piece when the fit around him is right.
Bobby Portis may be the kind of addition that changes the equation for the second unit. His ability to stretch the floor gives Miami a different look behind its starters and could open the kind of space Jovic needs to get back to the level he showed before last seasons drop-off. For a team trying to make its bench more functional, that pairing is one of the more intriguing developments to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Could Quietly Solve A Frontcourt Concern Before Camp
As training camp approaches, the Heat may have an understated frontcourt option sitting right in front of them. Nick Richards has been around the program lately, working out with current Heat players and even wearing team gear, which has only added to the buzz around whether Miami might be looking to shore up its depth before the season gets rolling.
For a team that wants to manage the health of its big men and avoid overtaxing the rotation, Richards would fit a practical need. He would give Miami another body in the frontcourt mix, one more way to keep things steady through the grind of the season, even if nothing official has been announced yet. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Have A Real Debate In This Grayson Allen Trade Idea
The Heats roster picture looks different after the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that has opened the door to a lot of idle front-office chatter about what still needs to be filled around him. One of the more interesting ideas floating around is centered on Miamis search for shooting and a cleaner offensive fit, with Grayson Allen emerging as a name that would make sense on paper for a team trying to sharpen its spacing.
Allens track record as a floor-spacer and his relatively clean contract situation make him an easy player to discuss in a Miami context, especially with the Heat weighing how to round out the rest of the roster. The other side of the conversation is just as notable, though, because any serious move in this vein would have to account for Nikola Jovics development and value, which is why this kind of proposal has become more of a real debate than a throwaway trade concept. [Read more 🡒]