With Giannis Antetokounmpo now in Miami after the offseason trade, the conversation around the Heat has mostly been about what won’t work. That reaction has been loud, but it hasn’t always been especially thoughtful. The roster is drawing more positive attention now, and a few names stand out as clean fits next to the two-time MVP.
Andrew Wiggins is one of them, and maybe the sneakiest. He is not the loudest or flashiest option, but he does a lot of the things a team wants from a player beside a star. Wiggins has grown into the kind of do-it-all piece who can defend, move without the ball and score when the defense turns its attention elsewhere.
That part matters with Antetokounmpo. Wiggins showed that skill set clearly during his time with the Golden State Warriors alongside Steph Curry, where he benefited from playing off another elite offensive engine.
Antetokounmpo and Curry do not play the same way, but the defensive attention they command creates a similar opening for a teammate like Wiggins. If he brings hard defense and keeps finding open space, he can be a valuable secondary scorer.
The Heat’s shooters should also be thrilled by the new setup, because Antetokounmpo’s presence changes the math every possession. He draws so much defensive attention, especially around the paint, that the perimeter should open up in a way Miami’s role players can exploit.
That is why Simone Fontecchio deserves more attention than he’s getting. Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. are the names people naturally bring up, but Fontecchio belongs in that group too.
He is not shy about shooting the ball the moment it reaches him, and that kind of quick-trigger approach could benefit a lot from playing beside Antetokounmpo. The gravity alone could make this a career-changing situation for him, and he should see plenty of clean looks.
Pelle Larsson is another fit that is easy to miss at first glance. He is not just a spacer, though. Larsson can adjust to what his team needs, and two parts of his game make him especially useful next to Antetokounmpo.
The first is his defense. Larsson plays with a tough, hard-nosed edge that can help set the tone in the backcourt, while Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo continue that pressure up front.
He’ll bother ballhandlers, and if they get through him, Antetokounmpo is there to clean things up. That kind of layering can make life miserable for opposing offenses.
The other part is the dirty work. Larsson dives for loose balls, runs the extra steps and isn’t afraid to get into little scuffles to establish an edge.
Antetokounmpo does plenty of that himself, but Larsson can share the load. They play with the same full-speed mentality, and that kind of overlap should only help Miami.
There’s even a health angle here. If Larsson is the one hitting the floor more often, it could help Antetokounmpo avoid some of the nagging wear and tear that comes with constantly throwing his body around. In a season where every bruise matters, that sort of help can add up.
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Vincents path to this point has already taken another strange turn, after Los Angeles moved him to Atlanta. Now the possibility of a minimum deal with Miami could put the Heat back in the kind of roster conversation that often defines late summer: whether a trusted old fit is worth the spot, and what it means for the team that let him go in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Face A Tricky Pelle Larsson Decision Much Sooner Than Expected
Pelle Larsson has spent the summer giving the Heat plenty to think about, and not just because of the way he finished last season in Miami. The second-year guard also turned in a strong showing for Sweden in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, adding to the sense that his upward trajectory is no fluke and that his game is continuing to translate in bigger roles.
All of that makes his next step unusually important for Miami, which is expected to face a restricted free agency decision on him sooner than many around the team probably anticipated. The Heat are believed to value Larsson as part of their future core, and the most likely path appears to be a multi-year extension, though the real test will be how quickly both sides can settle on terms. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Face One Last Roster Gamble With Real Scoring Upside
The Heat have done most of their offseason heavy lifting and now sit with one roster spot still open, a small detail that could wind up carrying real weight. One name that naturally fits the conversation is Cam Thomas, the scoring guard who put together a strong season with the Nets before his path got bumpy enough to send him through waivers and briefly into Milwaukee.
For Miami, the appeal is obvious enough: Thomas brings real shot-making, and the kind of offensive pop that can be hard to find this late in the summer. The question is whether the Heat want to make that last gamble on a player who still has something to prove, with Erik Spoelstra potentially in position to help steer that next step if the organization decides to take it. [Read more 🡒]