The Miami Heat have yet to join the action in a plethora of trades that have already taken place around the league. Just a few days are removed from the end of the NBA Finals and a failed pursuit of Kevin Durant. Pat Riley and the Heat front office are still looking to tweak the roster.
Miami is coming off a lackluster 2024-25 campaign in which they finished 37-45 overall and secured the 10th seed in the weaker Eastern Conference. Granted they just snuck their way into the postseason after winning out of the play-in tournament. However, they were dismantled in a convincing sweep out of the playoffs.
It’s been evidently clear that the Heat desperately need to re-tool, at the very least.
And Riley understands that the infamous ‘run it back’ method won’t fly anymore with the current state of the team. At his end of season press conference, he made that perfectly clear: “we do have to make changes.”
With Durant off the board, there isn’t a clear path to improvement on the horizon anymore. But that won’t stop the Heat in searching for avenues for lateral moves to benefit the franchise.
In a recent Miami Herald article by Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang, the pair of Heat insiders mentioned that the front office is active on the trade market. This is ahead of Wednesday night’s 2025 NBA Draft.
“The Heat has some level of interest in Johnathan Kuminga, but is currently exploring other potential moves, according to a league source.”
“The Heat could also put the 20th pick in today’s first round in a trade. One reason the Heat could choose to deal this year’s pick is to free up additional tradeable future first-round selections, according to a league source.”
— Miami Herald
Additionally, Barry Jackson stated via X that among the Heat’s upcoming goals is to “add a veteran who can help share some of scoring load without sacrificing much 2026 cap flexibility.”
Although Golden State Warriors’ restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has been a name linked to Miami, it seems more like DeMar DeRozan fits Jackson’s description. DeRozan is a proven veteran scorer still averaging a solid 22 points on efficient near 48% shooting from the field this past season, and has been a rumored trade target for Miami in recent weeks.
The six-time All-Star is also on a cheaper price tag for the value of the Heat’s need for a scoring punch. He has two years remaining on his contract totaling around $50 million.
Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson and Miami’s 20th overall draft pick have all been mentioned in recent reports. They are considered as trade chips that could be utilized this summer.
Despite Riley’s poor track record in recent deal making, there’s arguably been no bigger need for any sort of change in years. Right now, the team must consider changes.
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- Miami Heat draft Kasparas Jakucionis No. 20 overall in 2025 NBA Draft
- Warriors’ intriguing youngster Jonathan Kuminga linked to Heat
- Miami Heat are ‘active’ on the trade market ahead of NBA Draft
- Report: Heat have ‘continued’ trade talks with Lakers regarding Andrew Wiggins
- Hanifan: 9 players who crack the ‘my guys’ list for Heat ahead of 2025 NBA Draft
I’m still pissed Heat brass felt so compelled to not tank the play-ins and missed out on being a lottery team and ultimately forgoing the chance to be that 11th seed which Dallas became. But regardless of the odds just like with Chicago in the Derrick Rose / Beasley draft…it happened.
And any other franchise that’s a fireable offense and the team getting utterly destroyed and embarrassed in the playoffs but since Riley’s basically the owner with arison being the figurehead Riley isn’t gonna fire himself.