The 2025-26 Miami Heat schedule has officially been released! What are our immediate takeaways from the Miami Heat’s full 82-game slate, as they look to rebound from their worst season in a decade?
You like Magic?
For the second consecutive season and the 5th time over the last nine seasons, the Miami Heat will open their campaign against the Orlando Magic.
Outside of last year’s opener, each of those four was played in the Kia Center — formerly known as the Amway Center. Miami is 1-4 (1-3 on road) in season-openers against Orlando, including getting blasted 116-97 a year ago.
It’s become an annual tradition at this point. The Magic are expected to be one of the best teams in the East this season after poaching guard Desmond Bane away from the Memphis Grizzlies, who the Heat face second.
Heat’s early-season slate is brutal:
Six of their first eight games will be away from home. Additionally, 10 of the Heat’s first 15 will come against postseason teams from a year ago — including against the Cavaliers twice and the New York Knicks thrice.
As I previously mentioned, they will play the Grizzlies (road) on Oct. 24. Miami will also play Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs away from home on Oct. 30. Not woven in this stretch are three November contests against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks (home), Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (home) and Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons (home), Duncan Robinson’s return to the 305!
That’s not an easy start to a season for a Heat team that has teetered around mediocrity for the last three seasons.
Heat spent most time on road in January and February … again:
Last year, Miami played eight of its 16 January contests away from home. It went 4-4 in those games.
This year, 10 of Miami’s 17 January affairs will be on the road, including a five-game West Coast road trip from Jan. 19-25. Six of its 11 games in February will also be on the road, including dates against the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Heat have very few nationally-televised games:
After having 16 nationally-televised games in 2024-25, the Heat will have five — yes, just five — games nationally-aired in 2025-26. Here’s how they shape up:
- Nov. 14 at New York Knicks (Amazon Prime)
- Nov. 19 vs. Golden State Warriors (ESPN)
- Jan. 6 at Minnesota Timberwolves (NBC)
- Feb. 28 vs. Houston Rockets (Prime)
- March 30 at Philadelphia 76ers (Peacock)
Of course, the league can decide to flex any of these games — adding (or subtracting) them throughout the season. But five is a staggeringly low amount, though part of it is justifiable since they have been a play-in team each of the last three seasons.
Heat will have the same number of back-to-backs as it did last year:
A talking point at any point of the season is the dreaded back-to-backs. The Miami Heat will play 15 back-to-backs for the second-straight year (one more than they did in 2023-24).
Their first back-to-back will be on Nov. 2-3 against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, while their last back-to-back will be on March 29-30 against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers.
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The Miami Heat and Dru Smith have agreed to a 3-year, $7.9 million deal, league sources told
@hoopshype
. Smith averaged 6.2 points on 51% shooting and 53% from 3-point range with 1.5 steals in 14 games last season. Agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry finalized the deal..Great great great news if a big if he stays healthy hes pg1 i believe.hes got better size and does everything as good or better than dav.davs a good backup.think dru can win the starter position,it will be close two players fairly same ability.
highsmith traded.that is one frustrating player.plays good d but never tried to score .need buckets hh one way players not wanted c ya .get healthy btw
NBA regular season is not a sprint, its a marathon, but with full sprint start.
First 10-15 games all teams are playing hard, even lousy ones.
5-10 is bad, but not disastrous beginning, if the Heat can put together a string of wins after that, when schedule softens.
As always, I m interesting in quality of the basketball and young players development.
Winning will be a natural consequence of that above, and losing a necessary consequence of getting there.
Anyway, we have a bit better team then last year, and we can expect a little more stability from our young core of Ware, Niko, JJJ and Pelle. And perhaps a top 5 rookie of the year performance of KJ.
Not enough for finals, but it should be fun year.
I always enjoy your posts, sir.
I like the brutal start to the season. The record might not be great as they have to incorporate some new parts and roles, but think it will help them in the long run.
And me yours. where have you been? Not much posting from you lately.
17 of Miami’s first 21 games are vs playoff caliber teams, including: Orlando. Cleveland, New York, Dallas and Clippers twice each. In addition, they have one each vs Denver, Memphis, Lakers, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee and San Antonio.
If Miami is 14-7, or better, after navigating the preceding gauntlet, it will have a very good year. 11-10 will mean an average (.500) or slightly better than average season. 6-15 will mean we are all in for a long, long year.
Riley needs to find two additional quality rotation players in order to make Miami more competitive. A solid deep 10 man bench during the season goes a long way in today’s NBA. The two may come from existing players on veteran, rookie and G League contracts and/or players available via trade. If he can do that, while keeping Miami under the luxury cap limit, he will deserve all the credit from all of us. If not, he’s earned a big send-off/retirement party.
It will be interesting to see how we do with no improvements. I do think we are slightly better. The equation is: Wiggins+Powell+Mitchell>Butler,
but only maybe +4-5 games better, and some of that is because Ware should be improved. I am not as optimistic about internal roster bigger contributions from our other players with perceived upside as others are hoping for. So, I predict a 41-41 record with no further improvement’s.
And that would make us an interesting team to watch, but again a play-in team with no realistic chance of going far. So, hopefully there are the two moves you mention coming, one of which would be a backup big (Kai?) from the scraps of free agency. But, the other one would require a trade of one of our players, in an area of surplus, perhaps with a pick, to get a player of at least Wiggins quality, a really good player, a two way wing, PF type. That’s a big ask but that’s what it will take to make us truly relevant again.
And, since we aren’t that far away, it’s not an easy get, but it is doable and should be done. And, if no further improvements are made, and the season is another middling one, it will be hard to justify not considering changes in the front office.
I agree. Anything above .500 will be gravy compared to last year. They need to cut down on choking in the 4th quarter and losing games when they lead by 15 or more points. They also need more rebounds (especially offensive ones).
However, I do think I think Miami is 1-2 players away from being a very deep and competitive team. If that happens, best case scenario is Miami wins 50+ games and finishes in the top 4.
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Try this one instead. Miami Heat 2025-26 Regular Season NBA Schedule
As every season – 20 game eval. Might go 5-15 to start…ouch! But hoping for 18-2 lol
Tough schedule out the gate you are correct could get very ugly very fast