The Miami Heat are being linked to two accomplished scorers again, and this time the focus is on how Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan could fit in the same picture.
For Miami, the appeal is pretty straightforward. Thompson would bring the kind of perimeter shooting the team has been hunting, while DeRozan offers a different kind of punch - a veteran shot-maker who can create from the mid-range and give the second unit a real lift. Together, they would attack two separate needs on the roster.
One NBA scout told Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman that DeRozan might actually be the better option if Miami had to pick one of the two.
“[DeMar] has more left than Klay. But stylistically is the problem.
He's got to come off the bench - if he could accept the role as a six-man type, he would bolster their bench and maybe finish games," a scout told Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman. "He's not going to defend, he did start to pass the ball a little.
But that's not why you have him. As a sixth man, considering the other options, he's a cut above Thompson."
Even with that view out there, Thompson still sounds like the main target. ESPN's Shams Charania said Miami’s priority is to find shooting, and Thompson sits at the top of that list.
“They hope not. The Miami Heat's number one priority right now is to acquire shooting.
And they found their No. 1 target for that... Klay Thompson.
The problem is Klay Thompson has one year left on his Mavs contract so they're exploring whether they can trade for him, whether this could end up in a buyout, we'll see over the next several weeks," ESPN's Shams Charania said.
There’s also enough flexibility for Miami to chase both players, and The Stein Line's Jake Fischer said the Heat are looking to be in the mix for each of them.
“Miami wants to get in the mix for both Klay Thompson with DeMar DeRozan,” Fischer said.
If Miami could pull that off, the fit is easy to see. Thompson would stretch the floor the way the Heat need, and DeRozan would give them another reliable scorer who can handle bench duty and finish games. Add in the fact that Thompson and DeRozan have earned a combined $603 million in contracts during their careers, and the resume is there.
The bigger picture is even more intriguing when you put the names together with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. That combination would give Miami more spacing, more scoring, and a deeper veteran presence as the team tries to reshape its roster.
In Other News...
Kevin Durant Just Added More Pressure To Miamis New Star
Giannis Antetokounmpos arrival in Miami has already put a spotlight on how much the Heat are asking of their new star, and Kevin Durant just added another layer to that conversation from afar. On a podcast, Durant singled out Antetokounmpo as the player he most enjoys watching, a nod that lands with extra weight when a future Hall of Famer is sizing up someone still trying to settle into a new home and a new conference.
For Miami, the attention is part of the package now. Antetokounmpo is stepping into an Eastern Conference that offers no shortage of problems, with the Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers and Pistons all among the teams ready to make the Heat earn every inch. The early focus is no longer just on what Miami added, but on how quickly its new centerpiece can meet the standard that comes with being watched so closely by the leagues biggest names. [Read more 🡒]
Heat History Says Giannis Alone Wont Decide This Title Chase
Miami has spent three decades proving that one superstar can change everything, but not always by himself. From the Alonzo Mourning years to the title run with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille ONeal, then the LeBron James era and later the Jimmy Butler push, the Heats best stretches have usually come when the right star arrived at the right time and the rest of the roster could keep up.
So even with Giannis Antetokounmpo now in the picture alongside Bam Adebayo, the bigger question is whether this version of the Heat can build the kind of complete team that survives deep into spring. The pieces on paper give Miami a real path back into the title conversation, but the franchises own history suggests the answer will depend on more than one player and more than one offseason, with the clearest championship window still pointing toward the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Still Have One Urgent Job After The Giannis Trade
After the Giannis Antetokounmpo acquisition and a wave of roster reshuffling, the Heat have already taken some important steps toward rounding out the new-look group. Tim Hardaway Jr. is in, Simone Fontecchio is back, and the front office is now working under a tighter financial lens as it tries to make the rest of the puzzle fit for next season.
What remains is the sort of bargain shopping that can quietly shape a contenders bench. Miami still has a few openings to address, and the focus now is on budget-friendly veterans who can add depth without forcing the team out of its cost-conscious plan. The names in that mix point to a search for reliable rotation help, the kind that can steady a second unit and give the Heat a little more room to breathe over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]