Training camp is about to open in Miami, and while the Heat’s headline moves have grabbed most of the attention, the real roster squeeze may come at the back end.
The big-name additions - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson - have reshaped the top of the roster. But tucked beneath those moves are a few quieter signings and claims that could end up deciding who sticks when the cuts come. Three names stand out: Dennis Smith Jr., Nick Richards and Bez Mbeng.
Smith is the newest of the group, landing on an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami on Sunday. Once a top-10 pick in 2017, he has spent the last several seasons bouncing from team to team as a backup point guard.
The Heat’s starting point guard job is spoken for with Davion Mitchell set to handle it again, but the reserve role is still open. Smith now has a chance to make his case against Dru Smith, who has familiarity on his side, while second-round pick Ryan Conwell is also part of the conversation.
Richards arrived in August on a non-guaranteed veteran minimum contract, and that detail matters. He has long been viewed as a player who might break through, though that jump never really came.
What he has provided throughout his career is steady rebounding off the bench. Even so, his path to the backup center job is complicated by the fact that Miami also added Portis in the blockbuster deal with Milwaukee earlier this summer.
Richards still brings experience, and if he flashes enough in camp, he could force his way into the role.
Mbeng is the most intriguing long shot of the three. Miami claimed him off waivers last week after the Utah Jazz let him go.
He went undrafted last year after a solid college career, then earned a 10-day deal from Utah and made it count, including a 27-point triple-double in April. He is still young and showed some promise late last season at the NBA level, but the Heat’s wing group is crowded.
Thompson, Pelle Larsson and Hardaway Jr. are all ahead of him in the pecking order at shooting guard, which makes his climb steep.
In Other News...
Heats Missed Shooter Already Raises Concern Before Camp
Miami spent much of its offseason circling veteran help on the perimeter, with Bradley Beal and Klay Thompson both part of the conversation before the market settled. Beal wound up back with the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year deal, while Thompson emerged as the cleaner fit for a Heat team looking to bolster its shooting and add a proven name to the mix.
Beals arrival in Los Angeles has already brought some unease, though, because he is heading into training camp with an injury. For Miami, that only sharpens the sense that the chase for a veteran scorer could have gone a different way, even as landing Thompson is still viewed as the better outcome after the missed opportunity with Beal. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jovic Is Back In Miamis Rotation Conversation
Nikola Jovic spent the offseason working his way back into the picture, and the Heat seem willing to keep the door open for him. The forward, who signed a four-year rookie scale extension, said he has not dealt with back issues recently and sounded upbeat about helping off the bench in the 2026/27 season, a sign that Miami still views him as part of its long-term rotation plans.
Erik Spoelstra also had reason to like what he saw, praising Jovics summer progress and the versatility that has made him an intriguing fit on a roster that values lineups with options. Jovic was only one of several Heat players offering updates at media day, with Nick Richards, Pelle Larsson, Simone Fontecchio and Davion Mitchell also addressing their status and expectations as camp begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Giannis Just Put The Heat In An Awkward Spotlight Again
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For Miami, it is the kind of detail that does not change a game plan but can still become part of the conversation around the building. Visiting teams already know the routine of NBA road life, yet the conditions at an arena can linger as a talking point when a star is blunt enough to spell them out. The Heat now have that spotlight back on them, and it is unlikely to fade quickly. [Read more 🡒]