The Miami Heat have turned some of the financial breathing room from Klay Thompson’s contract into help near the basket.
Free-agent center Nick Richards agreed to a one-year deal with Miami, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday. Richards fills the Heat’s 14th standard roster spot, addressing a frontcourt need days after the team added Thompson.
Financial terms were not included in Charania’s initial report.
The agreement follows Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson’s reporting that Richards was a player of “considerable interest” to the Heat. Richards had worked out with Miami players at Kaseya Center while wearing team gear.
Now, that connection has produced an agreement.
The additions serve different purposes: Thompson stretches defenses, while Richards gives coach Erik Spoelstra another traditional center to handle the work inside.
Nick Richards Adds Size Behind Miami’s Stars
GettyJoel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against Nick Richards of the Chicago Bulls in the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Miami Heat signed Richards for their 14th spot on the roster.
Richards, 28, averaged 5.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 48 games between Phoenix and Chicago last season. His production improved after moving to the Bulls, where he averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 22.4 minutes across 20 appearances.
He shot 52.3% from the field during that Chicago stretch and made four starts. Those numbers offer a clearer picture of his production with consistent minutes than his full-season averages, which include limited playing time with the Suns.
Miami does not need Richards to become a featured scorer. It needs him to rebound, finish around the rim and provide dependable minutes behind its established frontcourt players.
At 6-foot-11, he gives Spoelstra another option against bigger lineups and another body to absorb contact during a long regular season. His presence could reduce the need to overextend Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo or rely on Bobby Portis in every matchup requiring a conventional center.
The offensive fit will require attention. Richards is not an established perimeter threat, so pairing him with another interior-oriented player could make spacing more difficult.
That places a premium on his screening, movement and timing. Playing alongside shooters such as Thompson should create opportunities, but Richards must capitalize without requiring the offense to run through him.
Klay Thompson’s Contract Leaves Heat With Flexibility
Richards’ agreement follows the opening created by Thompson’s smaller-than-expected Heat contract.
Thompson signed for approximately $11.5 million over two years, below the nearly $13 million initially reported. His starting salary of roughly $5.6 million also came in below the projected $6.3 million.
That difference mattered for a team operating beneath a first-apron hard cap.
South Florida Sun Sentinel reporter Ira Winderman reported that Thompson’s final terms left Miami able to add two players and reach the 15-player standard roster maximum without crossing that threshold. Richards now accounts for the first of those additions.
One standard spot remains, and Miami could leave it open to preserve flexibility heading toward the trade deadline and subsequent buyout market. That would allow the Heat to evaluate their needs during the season before committing to another player, provided any addition fits beneath their hard cap and satisfies applicable signing restrictions.
Thompson supplied the championship pedigree. Richards addresses the less glamorous business of making the rotation more durable.
Keeping the final spot open could give Miami time to determine what it still needs.
Heat Add 6-Foot-11 Center After Klay Thompson’s Financial Sacrifice