The Miami Heat are still months away from the 2026-27 NBA trade deadline, but their name is already surfacing in the early chatter around veteran upgrades.
Three familiar names have come up as possible targets: Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday and Zach LaVine. Each brings something different to the table, and each comes with a price tag that makes the decision more complicated than simply adding talent.
Irving is the biggest name in the group. The 34-year-old missed last season because of a torn ACL, but his production before the injury still stood out. In 2024-25, he put up 24.7 points on 47.3 percent shooting, along with 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals across 50 games, all of them starts.
He’s also on an expiring deal worth $39.49 million this league year, and he holds a $42.42 million player option for 2027-28. There have been no indications or reports that Irving is looking for a buyout from the Dallas Mavericks, though teams are still watching the situation closely.
He’ll turn 35 late in the upcoming season. Even with the offensive punch, the Heat should be wary of paying that kind of money for a player coming off a major injury.
Holiday is the other big veteran guard tied to Miami, and his case is built more on balance than star power. The two-time NBA champion remains one of the league’s best defensive guards, and he showed plenty last season with the Portland Trail Blazers. In 53 games, 51 of them starts, he averaged 16.3 points on 45.1 percent shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and a steal.
At 36, Holiday would fit neatly into what Miami wants from a guard, especially as a playmaker and stabilizer. The problem is the contract.
He’s due $34.8 million this season, and his player option for 2027-28 could reach $37.2 million. That makes him a strong basketball fit and a difficult financial one.
LaVine rounds out the list as the pure scorer. He averaged 19.2 points on 47.9 percent shooting, plus 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 39 games, 37 starts, with the Sacramento Kings.
The scoring is real, but so is the reputation on the other end of the floor. He’s also set to make $48.97 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Of the three, Holiday looks like the best fit for Miami only if a buyout ever enters the picture. Otherwise, the Heat appear to have enough on hand to keep chasing the Eastern Conference and a championship while they wait and see how the season unfolds before making any major move.
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The purchase was made through a company tied to his New York lawyers, which only adds to the intrigue around how quickly he is planting roots in the area. Pinecrest has become something of a familiar address for the Heat fraternity, and this one already feels like a signal that Antetokounmpo is settling into life around the franchise. For Miami, it is another reminder that the teams biggest offseason story may be about more than basketball. [Read more 🡒]
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Gabe Vincent remains unsigned and looking for his next NBA opportunity, and the connection makes sense for a team that knows exactly what he can bring. A former Heat guard who later moved from the Lakers to the Hawks, Vincent already has a track record in Miami and the kind of shooting profile that could keep him in the conversation if the team decides it wants more backcourt depth. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Have A New Role Player Debate That Could Shape Everything
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Pelle Larsson is part of that same discussion, with expectations that he could carve out a significant bench role after strong play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. None of it is locked in yet, of course, but the way Miamis depth is being framed suggests a real fight for minutes could shape how the rotation looks when the season starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]