Tim Hardaway Jr. arrived in Miami with the kind of setup that usually begs for a clean fit. He came in as the son of a Heat legend, fresh off one of the better seasons of his NBA career, and even had his father hand over the rights to No. 10, the number that hangs in the Kaseya Center rafters.
Instead, the start of his 2026-27 season has gone sideways fast.
Hardaway Jr. was expected to be Miami’s bench anchor, and there were early signs of that in the Heat’s first win of the year against the Atlanta Hawks, when he scored 14 points and shot 6 of 10 from the field. Since then, though, his role has shrunk all the way to a DNP against the Utah Jazz, leaving him stuck at 4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game while shooting under 30% from the floor and 69.2% at the line.
The offense has been rough enough. The defense has made things worse.
That combination has made it hard for Miami to justify keeping him on the floor while the team tries to find its footing without falling too far behind in the Eastern Conference. In Utah, Erik Spoelstra went with other options, and the Heat’s trust has clearly shifted toward rookie Ryan Conwell Jr. for the moment.
Conwell didn’t have his shot falling Tuesday, finishing 1 of 7, but he brought enough energy on defense to help his case. He also gave Miami some handling help, which matters more now that Pelle Larsson has been moved into the starting lineup.
The Heat also can’t afford to let a veteran who was once a clear target in free agency sit and drift for an entire season.
There are really only two paths forward for Hardaway Jr. if Miami wants to get him back on track. One is the low-pressure chance the Heat missed in Utah: a game that gets out of hand, where he can play freely and try to rebuild his confidence without the weight of every possession. The other is simpler - somebody ahead of him in the rotation needs a night off, or gets hurt, and he gets thrown back into the mix.
Hardaway wanted to be in Miami, and there’s no doubt he’s frustrated with how this has started. But Spoelstra has made the standard plain: production earns minutes. Right now, Hardaway Jr. isn’t giving the Heat enough of it.
So for now, he waits and keeps working. When the next opening comes, whether it’s in a blowout or because the rotation gets shuffled again, he’ll have to take it.
In Other News...
Heat Win Showed Exactly What Could Still Hold This Team Back
The Heat left Utah with a 115-109 road win, and the box score offered a pretty clear snapshot of what this group can look like when it is clicking. Giannis Antetokounmpo powered the night with 30 points and 11 rebounds, Davion Mitchell added 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists, and Miami also got useful minutes from Andrew Wiggins off the bench along with Pelle Larssons defensive work.
Even with those positives, the game also hinted at the kind of issue that can linger when the margins tighten. Miami had enough to finish this one, but the way the offense settled in late again raised the familiar question of where the reliable scoring comes from when possessions get heavier and the game slows down. For a team trying to stack wins on the road, that remains the part worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Could Face A Costly Giannis-Era Gamble For More Scoring
The Heat have been keeping an eye on Zach LaVine as a possible offensive boost ahead of the 2027 trade deadline, a sign that Miami is already thinking about how to add another scorer around its current core. LaVines expiring contract makes him an appealing name on paper, especially for a team that can always use more shot creation, but the financial side of any deal would be the real hurdle.
His salary is large enough to complicate almost any path to Miami, and getting there could require the kind of multi-team construction that turns a simple target into a complicated project. Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic are among the names that could have to be folded into the math, which is exactly the sort of costly gamble the Heat would have to weigh if they decide LaVine is worth pursuing. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Lineup Changes Solved One Problem But Raised Another
Erik Spoelstra spent a recent road trip tinkering with his rotation, and the Miami Heat came away with a 3-2 mark while looking a little more settled on the defensive end. Moving Max Strus into the starting lineup was part of the shuffle, and Tim Hardaway Jr.'s struggles opened the door for Ryan Conwell Jr. to get some run as Spoelstra searched for combinations that could steady both ends of the floor.
The bigger question now is how much of that setup sticks. Spoelstra is still testing bench options such as Myron Gardner and Simone Fontecchio, and the changes have the feel of something situational rather than permanent. For a Heat team trying to balance performance, fit and depth, the next stretch may be less about finding one answer than figuring out which pieces can keep earning minutes. [Read more 🡒]