All offseason, the Miami Heat has dotted its i’s and crossed its t’s. The Heat stayed patient leading up to the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade and patient in bringing in Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nick Richards to address key roster concerns.
There is no reason to believe that Miami will adjust its approach in the little that’s left of this offseason — even with the team quite clearly needing reinforcements in the backcourt.
Many Heat fans are waiting for the team to make another move to bring Antetokounmpo a star playmaking point guard, but the fact of the matter may just be that fortifying every area of the roster in one offseason may be too steep of an ask. But that certainly doesn’t mean the Heat isn’t lining its cards to make a move sometime in the near future.
Two Names Emerge in Miami Heat’s Potential Deal for Star Guard
Miami has a dependable starting point guard in Davion Mitchell — though it is fair to question whether he is the ideal playmaking option for Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo — but not much more at the position. That has mainly fueled the Kyrie Irving-to-Miami speculation that has taken off recently.
According to Heat insider Ira Winderman, with the team in need of a star option at guard, stars Bobby Portis and Nikola Jovic are the first in line to be included in a potential trade.
“With Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Heat clearly prioritized their backcourt with their remaining resources after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade,” Winderman wrote in a subscriber-only Q&A. “You can only do so much in a single offseason. So for now, figure on a wait-and-see approach, knowing there remains the possibility of putting the Bobby Portis and Nikola Jovic salaries into a trade at some point should a significant backcourt upgrade come available.”
It is clear why the Heat could look to move Portis and Jovic first, given that both players are on mid-tier salaries that can be put together to land a star who is on a $30 million to $40 million average annual salary.
Now whether another team would be open to taking Portis or Jovic in a trade is another conversation. But the Heat does at least have the contracts to make the machinations of a major trade work.
Jovic is Likely the Better Trade Chip
Before the Antetokounmpo blockbuster, the Heat had one of the most attractive collections of young talent in the league. That’s what helped the team acquire a consensus top five player in the NBA. Now, it’s a different story.
Jovic is one of the Heat’s few remaining young assets, but his contract may make it hard for Miami to move him — if it indeed tries to.
Winderman did note in an earlier subscriber-only Q&A that the Heat wouldn’t think much before moving Jovic if a deal for a star guard came about.
“I see this all as a work in progress. Remember, Myron Gardner only has a partial guarantee, so there remains a means to bring in two additional players for the start of the season, with a buyout market that might not be done yet, with the Aug. 29 “stretch” deadline looming,” Winderman wrote. “And, yes, do not rule out trades. The Heat can express all the hope they want with Nikola Jovic, but if the right deal comes along for the right player, this will all be about go-time.”
Jovic is entering the 2026-27 season off a down previous year, but there seems to be some idea that the 23-year-old forward could build up his trade value enough to help the Heat land a backcourt star ahead of next season’s trade deadline.
Report: Miami Heat Open to Trading 2 Stars for ‘Significant Backcourt Upgrade’