The Miami Heat’s offseason has reached the point where the splashy part is over and the roster-filling work has begun. After landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade, Miami has had to remake its depth chart while working within tighter financial limits, and the list of available options now looks a lot more practical than glamorous.
That shift matters because the Heat have already taken some major hits around their new centerpiece and Bam Adebayo. Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis were all dealt in the Giannis trade, while Norman Powell left for the Chicago Bulls in free agency.
Miami did add Tim Hardaway Jr. on a one-year deal and brought back Simone Fontecchio, but there are still about two or three roster spots left to sort out. The Andrew Wiggins extension also trimmed $9 million off his player option for the upcoming season, creating a little extra flexibility.
A few bigger names have been mentioned, including DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal. But with the money tight, Miami may need to mine the bargain rack to round out the rotation. Three names stand out as realistic fits.
Ochai Agbaji is one of them. The 26-year-old wing was once the lone restricted free agent on this list, but Brooklyn declined to tender his $8.8 million qualifying offer after a disappointing season.
Agbaji began the year with the Toronto Raptors, struggled badly as a shooter, and then landed with the Nets at the trade deadline. Brooklyn is rebuilding and still did not see him as part of its future.
That could open the door for Miami to take a swing on a player who still has some upside. With Jaquez Jr. and Powell gone, Agbaji could walk into a meaningful role quickly.
Bruce Brown is another name that fits the moment. The Denver Nuggets veteran has built a career as exactly the kind of bench piece teams love: reliable, versatile, and ready to change the tone of a game in short bursts.
After helping Denver win the championship in 2023, he returned to the Nuggets last season and played in all 82 games. He shot 47.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep.
Even though he is undersized, he can handle both guard spots and small forward, which gives him value in a league that never has enough players who can move around the lineup. With Miami’s backcourt unsettled after the departures of Herro, Jakucionis and Powell, Brown would be a clean way to soak up minutes and steady the group.
Aaron Holiday rounds out the list. The Houston Rockets guard, and brother of Jrue and Justin, just finished a three-year run with the team.
He never started, even with Fred VanVleet missing the entire last season because of injury, but he remained productive off the bench. Holiday shot close to 40 percent from three in each of those three seasons and is 29 years old.
He brings perimeter shooting and dependable free-throw work, which makes him a logical candidate to back up Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson in Miami’s backcourt.
In Other News...
Kevin Durant Just Added More Pressure To Miamis New Star
Giannis Antetokounmpos arrival in Miami has already put a spotlight on how much the Heat are asking of their new star, and Kevin Durant just added another layer to that conversation from afar. On a podcast, Durant singled out Antetokounmpo as the player he most enjoys watching, a nod that lands with extra weight when a future Hall of Famer is sizing up someone still trying to settle into a new home and a new conference.
For Miami, the attention is part of the package now. Antetokounmpo is stepping into an Eastern Conference that offers no shortage of problems, with the Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers and Pistons all among the teams ready to make the Heat earn every inch. The early focus is no longer just on what Miami added, but on how quickly its new centerpiece can meet the standard that comes with being watched so closely by the leagues biggest names. [Read more 🡒]
Heat History Says Giannis Alone Wont Decide This Title Chase
Miami has spent three decades proving that one superstar can change everything, but not always by himself. From the Alonzo Mourning years to the title run with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille ONeal, then the LeBron James era and later the Jimmy Butler push, the Heats best stretches have usually come when the right star arrived at the right time and the rest of the roster could keep up.
So even with Giannis Antetokounmpo now in the picture alongside Bam Adebayo, the bigger question is whether this version of the Heat can build the kind of complete team that survives deep into spring. The pieces on paper give Miami a real path back into the title conversation, but the franchises own history suggests the answer will depend on more than one player and more than one offseason, with the clearest championship window still pointing toward the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]