The Miami Heat have spent the offseason reshaping their roster with high-profile names, but the margins still matter. With the team now looking at its final available spot, Johni Broome has emerged as a possible low-risk addition who could give Miami some needed size and energy behind its veteran core.
Broome became available on Thursday afternoon when the Los Angeles Clippers waived the 24-year-old big man. That opens the door for a team like Miami to take a look at him as a bench-depth option, especially after the Heat have already made a few quieter moves to round out the roster.
Earlier in the week, Miami claimed young guard Bez Mbeng off waivers before preseason begins in a couple of weeks. Last week, the Heat also brought in former first-round pick Mo Bamba through their G-League affiliate to compete for a roster spot. Those moves suggest the team is still searching for pieces that can fit around its new look.
Broome’s college résumé is hard to ignore. He started at Morehead State in the Ohio Valley Conference, where he helped lead the Eagles to the first round of the NCAA tournament as a freshman.
After two seasons there, he transferred to Auburn and turned his college career into something memorable. Over three seasons with the Tigers, he earned two First-team All-SEC selections and picked up major honors in 2025, including SEC Player of the Year, The Sporting News Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American recognition.
That strong run pushed him into the 2025 draft, where the Philadelphia 76ers took him in the early second round. His NBA minutes were limited last season, as he appeared in 11 games and posted pretty dreadful numbers. Still, he made his mark in the G-League, averaging 22.9 points and eight rebounds.
Broome’s path took another turn in July, when the 76ers traded him to the Clippers in a move designed to free up cap space for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Clippers did not keep him long, and now he’s back on the market.
For Miami, the appeal is straightforward: a young interior player with college pedigree and some G-League production, available without much risk. The Heat have plenty of veterans filling bench roles right now, so adding Broome would give them another younger body to develop as they continue filling out the roster.
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