The Miami Heat have already made the kind of offseason move that changes the entire temperature around a franchise: landing Giannis Antetokounmpo. That deal turned Miami into a magnet for veteran talent, and the Heat used that pull to add Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nick Richards on short-term contracts.
Now the roster is mostly in place, but there’s still one spot left to play with. Miami has its 14 league-minimum roster spots filled, while the 15th can wait. The Heat can use it now, or they can stay patient and see whether a two-way player earns a standard contract or a useful veteran becomes available on the buyout market later in the season.
That’s where the real intrigue comes in. Around the trade deadline, veteran buyouts often create a second wave of roster upgrades, and Miami could be positioned to pounce if the right names hit the market. Three players stand out as possible targets.
D'Angelo Russell, Memphis Grizzlies
Russell has already popped up in rumors after Memphis brought him in earlier this offseason, though he hasn’t been waived or sent to free agency. The 30-year-old is no longer the high-volume scorer he once was, but he can still bring scoring punch and steady bench minutes.
For Miami, the fit is obvious enough. Right now, Davion Mitchell is the only true point guard on the roster, so a veteran guard who has proven he can score could make plenty of sense if Russell becomes available.
Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings
LaVine has lived in the rumor mill for years, and in 2025 he finally landed in Sacramento after a long stretch of speculation while with the Chicago Bulls. The Kings are sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference, and LaVine is only under contract through this season, which makes his situation worth watching.
He also dealt with a season-ending tendon injury in February, though he is expected back by the start of the regular season. His contract could make a trade difficult, which is exactly why a buyout could become the more realistic path. Even with the injuries and age, LaVine is still described as an elite scorer and hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down.
Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers
Lopez is 38 now, but he’s still doing the things that have kept him valuable for so long: rebounding and stretching the floor. He has one year left with the Clippers, and if that situation turns into a sell-off, a buyout around the trade deadline would not be a surprise.
There’s also a clean basketball connection here. Lopez spent many seasons in Milwaukee alongside Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, and that familiarity could matter if Miami needs another center. If Nick Richards doesn’t settle in as the backup big, Lopez would be one of the more appealing veteran options left standing.
In Other News...
Heat Season May Come Down To These Unsettled Rotation Spots
The Heats rotation picture is still taking shape, and a few familiar names could end up mattering more than anyone outside the locker room expects. Nikola Jovic, Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio and Bobby Portis all sit in that gray area between proven contributors and players still trying to define exactly what their role will be in Miamis system. For a team that tends to squeeze value out of the margins, those backend decisions can wind up carrying real weight by the time the season settles in.
Jovics shooting and size, Smiths health and defensive value, Fontecchios outside touch and Portis fit in the mix each offer a different path to stabilizing the bench. But each also comes with questions that keep the picture from being cleanly mapped out right now, which is why these spots feel so pivotal. If Miami gets the right answers from this group, the rotation looks a lot deeper and more flexible. If not, the Heat may spend the season searching for the exact combination that gives them the best chance to keep pace. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jovic Just Lost More Margin For Error In Miami
The Heats latest extension work only sharpens the spotlight on Nikola Jovic heading into the new season. Miami is reportedly locking up Pelle Larsson on a four-year, $60 million rookie-scale deal after a productive year, a move that adds another young piece the organization clearly wants to keep in place. For Jovic, who signed his own four-year, $62.4 million extension last summer, the message is less about the contract he already has and more about the role he still has to win.
Jovic has shown flashes, including strong play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, but the Heat have yet to settle on a steady rotation spot for him. With another young player now receiving that kind of commitment, the margin for error gets thinner, and the upcoming season feels especially important for Jovic to prove he can be more than a sporadic contributor. Miami has invested in him, but the next step is still on the court. [Read more 🡒]
Bam Adebayo Could Decide How Far This New Heat Era Goes
Bam Adebayo has spent years as the steady piece around whichever version of the Heat has been asking the most of him, but the 2026-27 season could ask something different entirely. With Giannis Antetokounmpo now in the mix, Adebayos role no longer looks like simple frontcourt support. It could become one of the defining factors in how this new Heat era actually functions, especially with his value tied so closely to both his defense and whether his offense can scale upward alongside another star.
The fit is what makes this so intriguing, because Adebayo is being judged on more than the box score. Miami needs him to anchor the defensive end without losing the versatility that has made him so reliable, while also finding enough shooting to make life easier next to Antetokounmpo. If he lands on the right side of that equation, the ceiling for this roster changes fast. If not, the Heat could discover that even a new era still comes back to the same old question: how much can Adebayo really bend the game? [Read more 🡒]