The Miami Heat already made the kind of splash that changes a franchise’s mood, landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in a huge offseason move. But even after that swing, the roster still has some obvious questions.
Miami gave up four players in the deal, lost All-Star guard Norman Powell to the Chicago Bulls in free agency, and still has three standard open roster spots. That has plenty of people wondering whether Pat Riley is done or just getting started.
One name that keeps coming up is Damian Lillard.
Miami has circled Lillard for years, and the fit almost happened during the 2023 offseason before talks broke down when the Portland Trail Blazers wanted Tyler Herro in return. Now the door is open again, at least enough to imagine a path.
Lillard is back on the court after missing a full season because of a torn Achilles suffered in the 2025 playoffs. He was waived and stretched by the Bucks last offseason, then returned to Portland on a relatively cheap three-year contract.
That return comes with complications. Portland’s backcourt is crowded, with Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Jrue Holiday and new offseason addition Ja Morant all in the mix. There are only so many touches to go around, and while Lillard remains beloved in Portland and has a no-trade clause, the idea of a move before the regular season is not off the table.
For Miami, the salary math is more manageable than it would have been in years past. Lillard’s cap hit sits at $13.4 million, which creates a possible route for a deal if a third team is involved. The Heat are tight on flexibility, but the framework exists.
Two players stand out as pieces Miami could have to move: Nikola Jovic and Davion Mitchell.
Jovic, the Heat’s first-round pick from 2022, signed a four-year rookie contract extension worth $62.4 million before last season. Riley clearly believed in him long term, but the decision looks shakier now.
Jovic was barely part of the rotation late in the year, appearing in only eight games after January. He’s still young, though, and his timeline could appeal to Portland.
Mitchell is in a different spot. He became a real contributor for Miami after arriving in a trade at the 2025 deadline, then earned a contract extension last offseason. Even with that progress, he may have already reached his ceiling production-wise, and because he’s on an expiring contract, he makes sense as a trade chip.
There is still the question of whether Lillard would approve a move to Miami at all. But after the Heat’s big offseason and the renewed buzz around the team, the chance to chase a championship next to Antetokounmpo could be enough to make the idea worth exploring.
In Other News...
Heat May Have Found The Bench Fit Nikola Jovic Needed
Miamis frontcourt picture is starting to come into focus, with Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Andrew Wiggins anchoring the starting group and Nikola Jovic shifting into a more prominent reserve role. That matters because Jovic has already flashed in the last two seasons, showing enough skill and versatility to suggest he can be more than just a depth piece when the fit around him is right.
Bobby Portis may be the kind of addition that changes the equation for the second unit. His ability to stretch the floor gives Miami a different look behind its starters and could open the kind of space Jovic needs to get back to the level he showed before last seasons drop-off. For a team trying to make its bench more functional, that pairing is one of the more intriguing developments to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Could Quietly Solve A Frontcourt Concern Before Camp
As training camp approaches, the Heat may have an understated frontcourt option sitting right in front of them. Nick Richards has been around the program lately, working out with current Heat players and even wearing team gear, which has only added to the buzz around whether Miami might be looking to shore up its depth before the season gets rolling.
For a team that wants to manage the health of its big men and avoid overtaxing the rotation, Richards would fit a practical need. He would give Miami another body in the frontcourt mix, one more way to keep things steady through the grind of the season, even if nothing official has been announced yet. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Have A Real Debate In This Grayson Allen Trade Idea
The Heats roster picture looks different after the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that has opened the door to a lot of idle front-office chatter about what still needs to be filled around him. One of the more interesting ideas floating around is centered on Miamis search for shooting and a cleaner offensive fit, with Grayson Allen emerging as a name that would make sense on paper for a team trying to sharpen its spacing.
Allens track record as a floor-spacer and his relatively clean contract situation make him an easy player to discuss in a Miami context, especially with the Heat weighing how to round out the rest of the roster. The other side of the conversation is just as notable, though, because any serious move in this vein would have to account for Nikola Jovics development and value, which is why this kind of proposal has become more of a real debate than a throwaway trade concept. [Read more 🡒]