Five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson has warned Miami Heat’s rivals not to “sleep” on the under-the-radar aspect of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade — the acquisition of veteran stretch big Bobby Portis.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend feels Portis, who made two threes per game at a clip of 45% last season, could be a key piece of the new-look Heat.
“People are going to talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they should because he and Nikola Jokić are the two best players in the league, but don’t sleep on how important the Heat getting Bobby Portis is,” Johnson wrote on X.
“Bobby’s ability to shoot from the 3-point line and his toughness, he will be a major part of the Heat success!”
Miami Heat Shore Up Front Court
In Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the Heat will undoubtedly have the NBA’s best frontcourt next season, which has Magic equally excited.
“And btw that Miami Heat front line with Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bobby Portis is going to be awesome and so much fun to watch play!”
The Heat project to be an elite defensive unit next season, but they still have a lot of shooting and playmaking holes to fill. They have five vacant roster spots after sending out four players to the Milwaukee Bucks, and not enough cap flexibility to make significant moves. The Heat reportedly requires Andrew Wiggins to either decline his $30.3M player option or renegotiate a new deal in order to retain free agent Norman Powell and use their non-taxpayer MLE.
Miami Heat Roster Incomplete
“… Miami keeping Powell comes with financial restrictions,” ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks wrote late on Monday. “Because the Heat used more than 100% of the traded player exception in the deal for Antetokounmpo, they are hard-capped at the first apron. Miami is projected $18 million below, with up to five roster spots to fill.
“It is unlikely Miami can fill out the rest of the roster with players signed to the veterans minimum while staying under the threshold and still have room to sign Powell.”
The Heat will reportedly try to sign veterans like Khris Middleton to veteran minimum deals, while trying to keep Wiggins and Powell in the starting five. Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, they face the realistic danger of losing Powell, due for a big payday after his first All-Star season, to another team in free agency.
“They’re gonna lose their All-Star, Norman Powell. Unless he takes a crazy discount, he’s gonna be gone,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on Monday.
Even with their incomplete roster, the Heat have the third-shortest to win the East and represent the 2027 NBA Finals, a sign of oddsmakers trusting the Antetokounmpo-Adebayo duo. They could be a force when the rest of the roster is filled out.
Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Sounds off on Giannis Trade to Miami Heat