Let’s tell it how it is: The Miami Heat has had an exciting offseason, perhaps better than the other 29 teams in the NBA. With two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and veteran sharpshooting wing Klay Thompson in tow, the Heat has revamped its roster in hopes to compete for an NBA championship.
Miami has one open roster spot and a ton of options at its disposal. According to team insider Barry Jackson, the Heat has a plan with its final roster opening.
“The Heat plans to keep the 15th roster spot open for a while, in case a needle-moving player becomes available in free agency,” Jackson reported for the Miami Herald.
That Plan Gives Miami Heat Options
With that, the Heat could be looking to enter the 2026-27 season with 14 players on the roster and feel good about its chances to contend with anyone in the Eastern Conference. After a few months pass and the Heat perhaps learns where its roster weaknesses lie, that’s where the door to an intriguing move could swing wide open.
According to Heat Roundtable’s Sean Jordan, with the Heat said to be open to exploring the buyout market next season, Clippers star Brook Lopez is a potential candidate to shake loose from Los Angeles and make his way to Miami.
“Lopez, 38, has quietly been one of the most consistent centers over the past two decades,” Jordan wrote. “He is in the twilight of his career but still rebounds well and can shoot from beyond the arc. He has one year remaining with the Clippers and with that franchise in disarray at the moment, he could very well be bought out around the trade deadline if they are sellers. Lopez played alongside Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis for many seasons in Milwaukee and if Richards isn’t cutting it as the team’s backup center, there aren’t many better options than the veteran even at his age.”
Not only can Lopez come off the bench and potentially be a deadeye 3-point shooter for the Heat, but his familiarity playing alongside Antetokounmpo could help him land in Miami. Lopez isn’t the player he was when he was helping Antetokounmpo anchor an elite Milwaukee Bucks defense, but he would undoubtedly bring a cool twist to the Heat frontcourt.
Lopez’s Shooting Could Be Game-Changing for Miami
Lopez may be pushing 40, but it was just two seasons ago that Lopez averaged 13 points and 1.9 blocks per game in 80 regular season appearances for the Bucks. Lopez is indeed one of the best big men of his time, as evidenced by the several seasons he has had with over 100 3-pointers and 100 blocks.
Once upon a time, Lopez even set the record for the most 3-pointers made in a season by a player 7’0” or taller, sinking 190 triples in the 2018-19 season for the Bucks, who marched to the Eastern Conference finals.
Lopez, a one-time All-Star, averaged 8.5 points and 1.2 blocks per game while playing just under 22 minutes per contest for the Clippers last season.
Heat Linked to 7’1″ Record-Setting 3-PT Shooting Big Man to Pair With Giannis