If the Miami Heat are going to make one more meaningful move in free agency - something bigger than minimum deals - the path is starting to look pretty obvious.
It likely means clearing money by moving Nikola Jovic and/or Bobby Portis.
That’s where the Heat are now after spending about half of their available mid-level exception on Tim Hardaway Jr. Depending on how the final Hardaway Jr. numbers land, Miami is left with roughly $5.5 million to work with. That’s not the kind of figure that usually lands another major addition.
So if the Heat want another splash, they’ll have to create the room for it.
The cleanest way to do that in the next few days would be to move Portis or Jovic, or both. And there are a few ways Miami could get there.
One possibility is expanding the Giannis deal to include another team. Even though the Milwaukee Bucks and Heat already have an agreement in principle for Giannis, the trade still won’t be executed until the new league year, which leaves enough space for a third or even fourth team to be added.
That kind of setup could give Miami a place to send Portis or Jovic if the right partner is out there.
If the Heat decide not to go that route, they could also look to move Portis or Jovic separately. That would probably require attaching an asset, particularly in Jovic’s case because of his poison pill contract, but it remains a workable option.
For now, though, the message around the league is to wait.
More than one reporter has pointed to July 6 as the date Heat fans should circle, and there’s a reason for that. That’s when the Giannis trade becomes official. Whether that date is connected to another move or just part of the process, it has become the key marker in all of this.
And with the way it’s being framed, it sure sounds like Miami may have something else lined up once that deal goes through.
If that happens, Portis and/or Jovic figure to be at the center of it.
The Heat already showed patience with Giannis, and it paid off. They may need the same approach again before the rest of the picture comes into focus.
In Other News...
Heat Shooting Search Just Put One Familiar Reunion In Doubt
Miamis search for more shooting has taken on extra urgency after the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Heat are now trying to balance that need against the realities of a roster that still has to be filled out. Tim Hardaway Jr. was already brought in as part of the effort to add spacing, but the front office is still working through how far it can stretch its remaining flexibility while staying within cap limits.
One familiar name had naturally surfaced as a possible answer, given his long track record with the Heat and his value as a floor-spacer. But Detroits interest in keeping Duncan Robinson has complicated that path, leaving Miami to keep looking elsewhere for shooting help as it rounds out the rest of the roster, likely with veteran minimum signings. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Just Lost Another Scorer In An Already Messy Offseason
Norman Powells lone season in Miami ended the way his Heat tenure began, with his scoring giving the team a needed lift and his departure now adding to an offseason that already feels unsettled. After making the All-Star team in Miami, Powell moved on following a productive year, leaving the Heat to keep reworking a roster that has already seen major turnover and has added Tim Hardaway Jr. to help address shooting.
The bigger issue for Miami is the shape of the offense right now. With Powell and Tyler Herro gone, the Heat have lost their two highest scorers from last season, and there is still more roster movement expected as free agency continues. For a team trying to stay competitive while filling obvious gaps, that is a difficult place to be this early in the summer. [Read more 🡒]