The Miami Heat may already be looking back at one of their first moves around Giannis Antetokounmpo and wondering if they blew it.
At the center of it is Anfernee Simons, a player Miami apparently had a shot at early in free agency but never seriously valued. According to Yossi Golzan, the Heat were only prepared to offer Simons the veteran’s minimum before he accepted a $6 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Simons was reportedly open to landing in Miami, but the low offer sent him elsewhere.
That decision could matter more if the Heat can’t land Klay Thompson from the Dallas Mavericks or find a strong fallback option. In that case, passing on Simons may stand out as a mistake in the early stages of building around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Miami’s challenge was always going to be steep after what it gave up to get Giannis, and the current roster picture only makes that clearer. The 76ers, Cavs, and Pistons already look loaded on paper, while the Heat still have to piece together a group that can stack up in a crowded field.
This isn’t about Simons being the make-or-break piece for a title run. It’s about depth, and Miami is likely to need plenty of it. If the Heat keep missing on veteran additions, that decision to treat Simons as a secondary option could end up looking even worse.
The timing makes it sting a little more, too. The season hasn’t even started, and already there’s a case that Miami may have taken its first misstep in roster building around Giannis. The Heat still have time to change the conversation, but right now the early signs aren’t great.
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 🡒]