The Miami Heat has already had an eventful offseason. Most of the team’s needs are satisfied, and the Heat could be prepared to enter the 2026-27 season as presently constructed.
It is, however, a bit difficult to ignore the Heat’s backcourt situation, especially considering the options that still remain on the free agent market.
One of Miami’s most glaring roster weaknesses was shooting. The Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP and a consensus top five player in the game, but didn’t have much to show for in the shooting department. That’s until Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson, two of the league’s most prolific perimeter shooters, came aboard.
Many are wondering if the Heat will take a similar approach to address its shallow point guard depth.
Miami Heat Keeping Tabs on Point Guard Options
The Heat has been linked to multiple guards in recent weeks, from Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo to Bruce Brown and even D’Angelo Russell.
Heavy NBA insider Sean Deveney reports that the Heat has considered a reunion with Vincent or even pivoting to veteran guard Cameron Payne.
“The Miami Heat have been poking around the NBA’s free-agent market, but the long-term idea is to find a trade that will bring in a point guard,” Deveney wrote. “As it stands, the Heat (have) about $3 million under their first-apron hard cap, and are badly in need of point guard depth. Davion Mitchell is the starter, and Dru Smith, who has mostly been a fringe roster player (though he did play 70 games for the Heat last year) in Miami is the backup. The Heat have weighed the likes of veteran backups Gabe Vincent and Cam Payne, but would prefer to find someone with a better upside. They do need a placeholder for that spot, though.”
Vincent and Payne are sure options to at least begin next season with. Both are veterans and proven playoff contributors.
Vincent was critical for the Heat in its march to the 2023 NBA Finals, while Payne established himself as one of the top backup point guards in the league as a member of the Phoenix Suns years ago. Vincent, though, is the familiar and younger option for Miami.
Vincent On Miami’s Radar
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Heat is very much on the lookout for veteran help in the backcourt.
“(Thompson) taking that $5.6 million salary allowed Miami to stay under their threshold and what have you,” Fischer reported this week. “… The Heat, to my understanding, do have some internal interest in looking at a veteran guard to round out their backcourt. Right now, they don’t have a ton of depth beyond Davion Mitchell at the position.”
Miami has one roster spot left and can hand out one more minimum contract. Considering that and the run the Heat had with Vincent a few years ago, the 29-year-old appears to have the best shot of the remaining free agent guards of landing the Heat’s backup point guard job. After all, that familiarity can go a long way in professional sports.
“Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra have been big advocates for him ever since Summer League,” NBA insider Brett Siegel reported. “We heard out there that Bam Adebayo is really pushing the Heat’s management to bring Gabe Vincent back. He remains unsigned. Very limited out there in terms of teams that still have roster spots available. I would think that if they are gonna bring in a guard, Gabe Vincent would be at the top of the list there.”
The Heat will eventually decide whether to go into the seasons as is or make a free agent signing. As for a trade, it doesn’t appear the Heat is preparing to make another deal this offseason.
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