The Miami Heat’s Last Real Decision of the Summer

▪️DeMar DeRozan The reporting has been consistent that DeRozan is viewed as a target for Miami. The Kings waived his partially guaranteed contract in early July, he cleared waivers, and is a free agent. He and the Heat have reportedly shared mutual interest for years, dating back to before Sacramento acquired him. DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season on 49.7% shooting across 77 games.

In an era where availability is one of the scarcest resources in basketball, DeRozan has been an iron man deep into his thirties. He’s also the last of the great mid-range artisans and a player whose entire game lives in the exact area of the floor that playoff defenses concede when they’re busy building a wall around a downhill superstar.

The case against is equally clean. He turns 37 very soon and shot 32% from three, so he doesn’t stretch a defense the way Miami’s other additions do. But, his interior gravity is real and it can crowd the same real estate Giannis and Bam want. Not to mention, he’s never been a plus defender, which matters more on a roster already asking Bam and Giannis to erase minuses elsewhere. There’s also a clock: other teams have similar mid-level money available, and if Miami doesn’t spend it, someone else will.

▪️Bradley Beal Beal declined his player option and hit free agency after missing nearly all of last season with a hip injury. The availability history, the same-side injury cascade, the hip surgery that ended his season, the impact metrics that lagged his reputation in recent years…none of that has changed. But, on a one-year, prove-it deal at a modest number? Absolutely.

That’s a smart, low-risk swing that Miami could make without blinking, especially for a contender that can protect his minutes. Whatever Miami offers will be short and cheap, which is the only version of a Beal signing I would envision them being interested in. The reporting suggests the Heat are at least displaying some level of interest.

▪️Klay Thompson Miami’s interest in Thompson has been one of the league’s worst-kept secrets. Ethan J. Skolnick of the 5 Reasons Sports Network, and The Miami Herald have also reported that the Heat have “strong interest” in the veteran sharpshooter. Miami’s preferred path would be pursuing Thompson if he were bought out rather than trading for his $17.5 million expiring contract. After acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami’s biggest offensive need became perimeter spacing.

Even at this stage of his career, Thompson remains one of the NBA’s most respected shooters. His gravity alone would create additional driving lanes for Giannis while forcing defenses to think twice before loading the paint. Whether Dallas ultimately agrees to a buyout remains the biggest obstacle, but among the remaining perimeter options, Thompson arguably offers a clean basketball fit for what Miami now needs. 

▪️Nick Richards The other position Pat Riley has publicly identified is center. Adding Giannis doesn’t eliminate the need for another athletic rim protector behind Bam Adebayo and Bobby Portis. If anything, it makes that role even more important over an 82-game season. Richards has quietly emerged as a possibility for Miami.

The Heat would benefit by adding the 6-foot-11 center, whose combination of size, rebounding and vertical spacing fits exactly what Miami is looking for. He isn’t a headline acquisition by any means, but championship teams are often built on complementary pieces. Richards would provide another lob threat, additional rim protection, quality rebounding and valuable regular-season minutes that could help preserve Bam and Giannis throughout a long campaign.

Could Miami surprise everyone with another move? Absolutely. Pat Riley has earned the benefit of the doubt over three decades of roster building. But most of the big moves this summer have been made and if the offseason ended with Klay Thompson stretching the floor and Nick Richards solidifying the front-court depth, it would be difficult to argue that Miami hadn’t addressed its two biggest remaining needs: shooting and additional size.