The Miami Heat may still explore another backcourt addition in a bid to surround the frontcourt of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Klay Thompson was the most recent addition after Tim Hardaway Jr. joined a month earlier. The Heat has had a speculated shot at Kyrie Irving, but nothing more than that. The Dallas Mavericks have maintained a strong stance over their star guard.
The Mavs front office has spent the summer saying it wants Irving next to Cooper Flagg. But, as Sports Illustrated’s Austin Veazey notes, it may only be a matter of time until Irving is on the move again, and that is promising news for the Heat.
“Teams aren’t convinced that the Mavericks will hang on to Irving long-term, though,” Veazey wrote. “He’s 15 years older than Flagg and the Mavericks have also been very vocal about their desire to build around Flagg moving forward. While Irving is on the team now, they could always look to trade him later once he recuperates some value.”
Irving would be making a full return for the 2026-27 season having missed the whole of last season following an ACL injury.
Miami Heat’s Path to Kyrie Irving
Irving’s salary for the 2026-27 season is roughly $39.5 million and after that, he has a $42.4 million player option. Even if Dallas decides to bite and opt for a trade, Miami would have to go all out with its limited resources to accommodate Irving.
The Irving-to-Heat chatter further intensified after ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Mavs and Irving could mutually agree to move forward with a trade if Irving expressed desire to be moved. For guard-hungry teams like the Heat, that could be all it they need to feel hopeful about their chances of landing the nine-time All-Star.
“From what is possible and realistic, (excluding Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo’s salaries), the Heat’s best possible offer would be a package surrounding Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell, followed by a sweetener or two like their conditional 2029 first round pick, Pelle Larsson, or Conwell,” Heat reporter Alex Toledo wrote for Sports Illustrated.
Wiggins signed a new deal this summer and is the next significant earner in South Beach after Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, and those two aren’t going anywhere.
The $30.1 million on Wiggins’ deal for this upcoming season is a good chunk to get started in a proposal for Irving. However, Wiggins is currently Miami’s only reliable starting wing option.
Potential Path Forward for Irving
On a scale, any opportunity to get Irving would supersede the cost or cap implications for the Heat. Having missed over a year of action, his sharpness may take some time but the veteran star remains one of the top scoring and creative guards in the league.
The Mavs know this, which is why they intend to keep Irving … for now. Even with a new-look front office led by Masai Ujiri, they haven’t changed their stance all summer. However, cashing in on Irving’s value now could also help the franchise down the line.
“It’s not because the Mavericks don’t love Kyrie. They do. It’s not because Kyrie doesn’t love Dallas and hasn’t enjoyed his experience there, by and large he has,” McMahon said. “But they’re building around a 19-year-old prodigy in Cooper Flagg, so could there come a time when it makes sense for both sides to, you know, find a contender for Kyrie to go to? These are the kind of things that people around the league will be monitoring leading up to the trade deadline.”
Miami would be keeping an eye on things from Dallas and have a potential package should a trade need arise. No doubt, Irving would fully make the Heat a contender alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
Miami Heat Get Good News on Kyrie Irving Trade After Major Insider Report