Miami’s offseason has already been turned upside down by the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and now the Heat are trying to patch together the right veteran support around him and Bam Adebayo. With Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis gone in the deal, and Norman Powell also leaving for the Chicago Bulls in free agency, Miami’s margin for error has tightened fast.
That’s why the next move matters. The Heat have already added Tim Hardaway Jr. on a one-year deal and brought back Simone Fontecchio, and Andrew Wiggins’ extension also created a little room by cutting $9 million from his player option for the upcoming season. But the roster still needs more help, and Miami is operating with financial restrictions while trying to build something worthy of Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
LeBron James was the big swing, but that door closed last week. Miami had prioritized him as a possible third star in a new “Big Three,” only for James to land with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal with a player option for 2027 to finish out his career.
So the Heat have shifted their focus to three veteran names: Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal.
Thompson, 36, is no longer the same player he was in Golden State, but he did give Dallas a useful season in a bench role and shot 38.3 percent from three-point range. The catch is simple: he’s still under contract with the Mavericks for one more season. Unless Dallas agrees to a buyout, Miami would have to send out Nikola Jovic and likely a second-round pick to make that happen.
DeRozan is the cleanest fit from a roster-building standpoint. The 36-year-old was waived by the Sacramento Kings after a buyout agreement and is now an unrestricted free agent, free to sign anywhere.
Miami has had interest in him before and remains in the mix this offseason. Even at this stage of his career, he’s still producing: 18.4 points per game and 77 starts last season.
He also brings something teams always value late in the summer - he shows up.
Beal is the youngest of the three at 33, but the concerns are obvious. He was with the Los Angeles Clippers last season after a difficult run with the Phoenix Suns, and a season-ending hip injury limited him to six games. His option was declined for the upcoming season, and while he once was a high-end scorer, that version of Beal looks far less certain now.
Among the three, DeRozan stands out as the best answer for Miami right now. Thompson would cost assets the Heat need to protect, especially with the team short on future first-round picks after the blockbuster trade.
Beal comes with injury questions and declining efficiency. DeRozan, by contrast, can slide into forward minutes with Wiggins and still score at a strong clip without requiring much in return.
For a team trying to fill out a contender, that’s the most practical path.
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The Heat have been linked to a low-cost roster tweak that would add another young shooter and ball-handler to the mix without asking them to swing big. The idea is simple enough: find a player who can fit around Miamis core, bring some perimeter help, and do it in a way that does not clog up the teams flexibility.
For Denver, the appeal is more about the cap sheet than the box score. Moving a young wing in the final year of his deal could help the Nuggets get back under the second apron and make a separate sign-and-trade easier to pull off, which is the kind of transaction domino that can shape an entire offseason. For Miami, it would be a chance to turn a modest asset package into a useful piece, even if the full value of the move only becomes clear once the rest of the market starts moving. [Read more 🡒]
Bam Adebayo Reveals His Message After LeBron Passed On The Heat
LeBron James decision to go elsewhere after Miami was in the mix left a familiar ripple through the league, but Bam Adebayos reaction kept the focus on the Heats bigger picture. Adebayo said he supported James choice, and for a team that still sees itself as a contender despite recent postseason disappointment, the message fit the moment: respect the move, then keep building toward the season ahead.
Adebayo also sounded energized about what comes next for him personally, pointing to the chance to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo next season. For Miami, that kind of optimism matters because the Heat are still trying to turn championship-level expectations into something more lasting, and Adebayos tone suggests he is already looking past the disappointment and toward the next challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Fans Have Heard This Veteran Scorer Buzz Before
Draymond Greens return to Golden State on a one-year deal keeps the Warriors offseason moving, but it also nudges another familiar veteran scorer back into the conversation. DeMar DeRozan, waived by Sacramento after his stint there, has already surfaced as an affordable free-agent option for teams looking to add proven offense without blowing up the cap sheet.
For Miami, the appeal is obvious enough that the buzz has started again, even if the fit still comes with the usual questions attached to a player of DeRozans profile. He can still change a half-court possession and give a contender another layer of scoring, but the defensive tradeoffs are part of the discussion too, which is why this kind of rumor tends to linger until someone actually makes the call. [Read more 🡒]