The Miami Heat’s offseason has already taken on a strange, ambitious shape, and now the LeBron James chatter is getting louder.
After the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks this summer, the idea of James joining the mix has been floated as a possible next move in free agency. Nick Wright of Fox Sports 1 is firmly in the camp that thinks it would make sense.
Wright laid out that case during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, arguing that James would address one of the biggest concerns around Miami’s roster: shooting. In Wright’s view, James would do more than just add another scorer. He would change the way the whole offense functions.
"Would LeBron solve all of that? A hell a lot of it," Wright said.
"It's not only his offense but what we saw from him the first round of the playoffs this season. As soon as he goes back to hand-on-the-control-offense initiator mode, everybody's three-point percentage goes up a percent or two because he's such a good of a passer.
As a basketball fit, I like all of that."
While the LeBron speculation keeps building, Miami also got a key roster decision from Andrew Wiggins. The Heat swingman has opted in to his $30.2 million salary for the 2026-27 season, according to sources.
Wiggins landed in Miami before the 2025 trade deadline as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster. Before that, he spent six seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where he became an All-Star for the first time and won an NBA championship in 2022. In his first stretch with the Heat, he put up 19 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting, along with 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals across 17 starts.
His first full season in Miami was steadier, if a little less explosive. Wiggins averaged 15.4 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 68 games, all starts.
The Heat also announced that Vladislav Goldin has been assigned to a two-way contract. Goldin originally signed his two-way deal with Miami on July 2, 2025, and the team’s release detailed what he did with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and the Heat last season.
With Miami’s G League affiliate, he appeared in 24 regular season games, including 16 starts, and averaged 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, a team-high 2.04 blocks and 1.5 assists in 22.9 minutes while shooting 60.5 percent from the field. He led the team in blocks, had 17 multi-block games and five double-doubles, and scored in double figures 14 times. His best scoring night came on March 28, when he finished with 21 points.
Goldin also played seven Tip-Off Tournament games for Sioux Falls, averaging 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.57 blocks in 25.8 minutes while shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from three-point range. In nine games with the Heat, he totaled seven points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and a perfect 1-of-1 from the foul line.
In Other News...
Heat Suddenly Linked To The Kind Of Bench Guard They Need
Miamis search for more reliable bench playmaking has brought a familiar name into the conversation, as the Heat are reportedly eyeing a veteran reserve guard to help steady the second unit. The appeal is obvious: Miami could use a tough, experienced backcourt piece who can defend at the point of attack, handle some creation duties and bring the kind of postseason seasoning that tends to matter once the games tighten up.
Marcus Smart fits that general profile as well as just about anyone on the market, which is why the fit has drawn attention. He has been a difficult matchup for Miami before, including two 24-point games against the Heat in the 2022 playoffs, and that history only adds to the intrigue around how he might look in South Florida if the interest goes anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Could Revisit A Familiar Target At The Perfect Time
Jonathan Kuminga is suddenly back on the market, and that alone makes him worth monitoring for a Heat team that has already remade its roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Miami is operating with financial constraints, so the challenge now is finding players who still fit the timeline and can add real upside without clogging future flexibility. Kumingas path from Golden State to Atlanta last season only adds to the familiarity around his name, especially for a front office that has been willing to look for value in the right places.
For Miami, the appeal is obvious: Kuminga brings the kind of athleticism and scoring upside that can matter if the roster keeps evolving around a star-heavy core. His best work came in his last full season with the Warriors, when he posted career-high production, and that kind of growth is exactly why he remains a player to watch. The question is whether the Heat can turn their reported interest into something workable, or whether this becomes another familiar target that stays just out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron Just Set Up A Massive New Twist In His NBA Future
LeBron James is not done, and that alone keeps the league in a holding pattern. The veteran star has decided to play another NBA season in 2026-27, which would push him into a 24th year and set a league record for longevity, a remarkable checkpoint for a player who has already reshaped multiple eras of the NBA.
What makes the next step so intriguing is that James has told the Lakers he will not be back with them, setting up a rare late-career restart for a player whose every move still ripples across the league. For a Heat fan base that knows better than most how his decisions can alter the NBA landscape, the real suspense now is not whether he will keep going, but how and where he chooses to finish the next chapter. [Read more 🡒]