The Miami Heat have already made the kind of splash that can reshape an offseason. After landing Milwaukee Bucks franchise star and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami briefly set its sights on LeBron James, though that pursuit never came together.
Now the attention has shifted to filling out the roster around its new centerpiece, and DeMar DeRozan has emerged as one of the names to watch. The six-time All-Star has been linked to Miami for years, and the buzz around that fit hasn’t gone away.
“Miami Heat have been a Derozan landing spot for years now, there's been so much connectivity between him and the Heat and I do think the Heat seem to be the most likely scenario for DeMar DeRozan right now…Miami is probably his best bet…those other spots really don't have spending power," The Stein Line's Jake Fischer said.
Miami is not alone in the chase. Denver and Cleveland are also in the mix, with league interest in DeRozan’s shot creation and veteran scoring still very much alive.
“I'm told Miami, Denver, and Cleveland are among the teams interested in DeMar DeRozan… There is a player out west that is overlapping with DeRozan as far as interest from teams," ESPN's Shams Charania said.
DeRozan has made it clear through his career arc that the final stretch is about competing for a title, and SI’s Geo Valdez pointed to Miami as the likeliest landing spot.
“He and the Heat have reportedly shared mutual interest for years, dating back to before Sacramento acquired him. DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season on 49.7% shooting across 77 games.
In an era where availability is one of the scarcest resources in basketball, DeRozan has been an iron man deep into his thirties. He’s also the last of the great mid-range artisans and a player whose entire game lives in the exact area of the floor that playoff defenses concede when they’re busy building a wall around a downhill superstar,” Valdez wrote.
That profile fits what Miami is missing. DeRozan remains one of the league’s most reliable self-creators, and his offense would give the Heat another established weapon alongside Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo.
He is also widely viewed as a future Hall of Famer, which only adds to the appeal of a move that would give Miami another proven scorer as it tries to stay in the mix at the top of the league.
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 🡒]