The Miami Heat’s roster is virtually complete. The team has 14 of 15 spots filled and has satisfied most of its major needs.
There is still plenty of speculation about what move the Heat could make to beef up the backcourt, which features just one proven option.
There is a growing expectation that the Heat could stand pat the rest of the offseason and allow a few months of the 2026-27 to play out before exploring another move. But as ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk pointed out, there are some lingering questions surrounding the roster.
“Adding (Klay) Thompson, one of the best shooters in NBA history, was a huge boost, but the Heat can still use another scorer, more shooting and another playmaker to help space the floor and make things easier for (Giannis) Antetokounmpo and (Bam) Adebayo. Also, how will the Heat offense operate with the two defensive pillars? Coach Erik Spoelstra says adapting the offense will be made easier due to Antetokounmpo and Adebayo’s competitiveness and desire to win. But it remains to be seen whether the Heat have enough shooting and scoring. If anyone can figure out the new puzzle in Miami, it will be Spoelstra.”
Miami Heat Has Major Trade Option in Its Back Pocket
The expectation is, without a doubt, for the Heat to compete for a championship next season. There is no other reason to justify mortgaging multiple promising young players and future draft capital. Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP, can likely make the Heat a playoff threat on his own, but what will the Heat do in case things aren’t playing out as expected?
According to Heat reporter Wes Goldberg, Miami knows it can reach for another impact star in a trade if a major move becomes necessary.
“The other thing they can do here is, if they want, bunch a couple of these guys together and make a move at a $30 million player. If they really, really wanted to go for it and thought that player was gonna be delivering value outside of his value.”
Goldberg suggested the Heat could package forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Jovic to make the machinations of a splashy trade work.
“Could you package Bobby Portis and Nikila Jovic together, get a $30 million salary in return with draft picks and whatever else that you need to move in that deal and then potentially improve your roster?”
Miami Could Make a Bigger Move Midseason
For now, there is a lot to like about the Heat roster. There is no denying that the Heat has addressed major areas of concern this offseason. For that reason, experimenting with the current roster until the trade deadline approaches may be Miami’s wisest approach.
“I don’t think that is the plan, I don’t think it’s the first choice, but I do think that Miami knows that they have the option and appreciates having the option. To me, in today’s NBA, I think they realize if we are gonna be paying Bam and Giannis, we don’t want to end up having to make a decision a couple years from now between these two guys because we’re gonna need to give Giannis this extension.”
The Heat has limited draft capital and few salaries that could help a trade work. But Portis and Jovic stand out as potential options because they are on medium-range salaries that can be put together to acquire a player who may not be superstar level but at least borderline All-Star level.
Miami Heat Linked to Major NBA Trade Around Giannis Using 2-Player Package