The Miami Heat have one roster spot left, and the choice comes down to whether they want to keep that opening for flexibility or take a swing on a player who could pay off later.
After a massive offseason that included sending four players and picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, Miami has already reshaped plenty of the roster. Norman Powell left for the Chicago Bulls in free agency, but the Heat responded by adding depth across the board.
In the last week-and-a-half alone, they brought in Klay Thompson and Nick Richards, while Tim Hardaway Jr. signed on a one-year deal earlier in the offseason. Simone Fontecchio is also back in the rotation on a one-year deal.
That leaves one final opening, and if Miami decides not to leave it unused, Vince Williams Jr. stands out as a name worth watching.
Williams is still available in unrestricted free agency at the start of September, and the reason is easy to trace. He tore his ACL in February, which ended his season and likely keeps him out for much of the next one as well. Even so, he could make sense as the Heat’s 15th man.
The 26-year-old wing spent four seasons at VCU, where the Rams reached the NCAA tournament twice and picked up a NIT bid during his senior year. Memphis selected him with the No. 47 pick in the 2022 draft, and his development took some time before he really started to click.
That breakout came in his second season in 2023, when he emerged as a real rotation piece. In 52 games, including 33 starts, he averaged 10 points while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three. Memphis rewarded that production with a multi-year contract.
Since then, though, his production has slipped, and the Grizzlies have also slid toward the bottom of the Western Conference over the past two seasons. He was sent to the Utah Jazz in February as part of the blockbuster Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, then suffered the knee injury that has kept him on the market.
Even with the setback, Williams still has developmental upside. Miami could bring him in, let him rehab for much of the year, and give him time around a group of solid wings while he works back. With Erik Spoelstra and his staff, the Heat have one of the league’s stronger environments for bringing young talent along.
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Heat Herro Decision Says A Lot About Miamis Real Plan
Tyler Herros time in Miami ended after seven seasons, closing a run that made him one of the most recognizable young players of the franchises recent era. For a Heat team that has spent years balancing competitiveness with flexibility, his name carried real weight in any roster conversation, especially once reports surfaced that Miami had at least considered keeping him around on a smaller contract extension.
Instead, the Heat moved in a very different direction, sending Herro to Milwaukee as part of the deal that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Florida. The decision says plenty about how aggressively Miami viewed its next step, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over the roster now: how much of the present the Heat were willing to sacrifice to chase the kind of centerpiece that changes everything. [Read more 🡒]
Former Lakers Guard Suddenly Linked To A Familiar Landing Spot
The Heat have already made a point of addressing one of their biggest needs by bringing in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson on short-term deals, adding more perimeter shooting to a roster that has been looking for it. Even with those moves, Miamis backcourt picture is still worth watching, especially with a former familiar face still sitting on the market.
Gabe Vincent is currently a free agent and has been mentioned as a possible fit for Miami because of what he has already shown in a Heat uniform, along with his ability to space the floor. After being traded from the Lakers to the Hawks last season, he is still waiting on his next NBA opportunity, and Miami remains one of the more natural landing spots if the team decides it wants even more guard depth. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Could Revisit A Steph Curry Reunion Fans Barely Got To See
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Another veteran drawing attention is Seth Curry, who remains a free agent while weighing a return to the Warriors and a chance to share the floor with his brother Steph Curry again. For Miami, it is part of the broader late-summer picture around the league, with former All-Stars still looking for the right landing spot and a few situations left open as camp gets closer. [Read more 🡒]