The Miami Heat have already made a major swing this offseason, but one issue still hangs over the roster: frontcourt depth.
After finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference, Miami clearly decided change was necessary. The makeover brought in Giannis Antetokounmpo, a 2-time MVP, and Klay Thompson, another future hall of fame player, while the team also lost two former all-stars.
On paper, that makes the Heat better than they were when the offseason began. Still, one roster problem remains unresolved.
Around the Heat, three concerns have come up repeatedly: shooting, playmaking and frontcourt depth. Shooting has been addressed.
Playmaking is viewed as overblown. The real issue, though, is the lack of size and insurance up front.
That has been a familiar problem for Miami for several seasons, but it is especially important with this group. Antetokounmpo gives the Heat another inside presence and a player who can guard anyone in the league.
Bam Adebayo, a 3-time all-star, remains one of the best defenders of this era. After those two, the room gets thin in a hurry.
Bobby Portis arrived with Antetokounmpo in the trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, which helps. It does not solve everything.
Beyond that, the only other “big” on the roster is Nikola Jovic, and that label comes with a lot of asterisk. He has the body, but he plays more like a guard and is not a true frontcourt player.
He also is coming off a season where he was statistically one of the worst players in the NBA. There is optimism that he can bounce back, but Miami still needs more cover.
The Heat have the ability to sign two more minimum contracts, though the expectation is that they may use only one of those spots for now. That means the decision becomes even more important.
If Miami is going to add to the frontcourt, a center would make the most sense. One name that has been linked to the Heat is Nick Richards, a player I identified early in the offseason as someone Miami should sign.
Richards is not the type of addition that transforms a season by himself. At this stage of the offseason, few available players would. What he would provide is steady depth and a reliable role on the roster.
A move like that would also matter for Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. It would give Erik Spoelstra more room to manage their minutes and keep them fresher over the course of the regular season and into the playoffs. It would also give Miami another big body to lean on defensively, easing the load on both stars for stretches.
That kind of support matters because the Heat’s ceiling depends on Antetokounmpo and Adebayo staying healthy. If either one misses time, the outlook changes fast. Miami will run through its stars, but it still needs the kind of frontcourt depth that lets those stars stay on the floor when it counts and get the rest they need before it counts.
In Other News...
Heat Just Made Their Keshad Johnson Decision Clear
After spending part of last season on a standard deal in Miami, Keshad Johnson appears headed back to a more familiar role with the organization. The Heat plan to sign the forward to a two-way contract, a move that keeps him in the system after he turned in strong work with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League.
Johnsons path back has been straightforward enough: no qualifying offer left him as an unrestricted free agent, and he reportedly worked out with the team before this return came together. For Miami, its another sign the front office sees value in keeping a developmental piece close to the roster, even if the next step in his role is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Make Another Frontcourt Move With One Big Roster Question
The Heat kept reshaping the frontcourt by agreeing to a one-year deal with center Nick Richards and bringing back Keshad Johnson on a two-way contract. Richards arrives as a reserve big man, giving Miami another body in the middle as it continues to sort through the rest of its roster, while Johnson stays in the developmental pipeline after showing enough promise to earn another look.
Those moves come on the heels of Miami adding Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr., a sign the team is still building out the edges of its rotation before the season arrives. The bigger question now is how the Heat ultimately balance the frontcourt pieces they have collected with the rest of the roster, and whether there is still another move waiting once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompsons Post-Warriors Chase Just Sent A Clear Message
Klay Thompsons move to Miami arrived with a pretty clear basketball message attached to it. After agreeing to a contract buyout with Dallas, Thompson chose the Heat in a decision shaped by the opportunity to play alongside the right mix of players and coaches, with his father, Mychal Thompson, pointing to Miami as the better playoff fit compared with the Lakers.
For the Heat, it is the sort of addition that brings both hope and expectation. Thompson is trying to rediscover the form that made him one of the leagues most dangerous shooters after a difficult season, and Miami is betting that a change of scenery and a stronger postseason path can help get him there. [Read more 🡒]