For the last several weeks, many Miami Heat fans — as well as the organization — have been waiting for the Klay Thompson shoe to drop. The veteran sharpshooter is entering the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks, but Dallas is hoping to find a trade partner instead of buying him out, where the Heat would be among the most interested.
The problem with the Heat acquiring him via trade is they only have one player — Nikola Jovic — who could match salary to execute him. Plus, it would mean selling low on perhaps their last “available” asset for a 36-year-old player on his last legs (figuratively and literally).
As that saga continues, a new mystery target has emerged: Free agent center Nick Richards.
In a recent Instagram video posted by Heat guard Davion Mitchell, Richards was seen working out with the Heat in their facility in full team gear. He’s been seen in multiple runs with the soon-to-be 28-year-old guard this offseason. But this specific instance drew the curiousity of many online, who put on their tinfoil hats as the dog days of summer loom.
Nick Richards’ skillset and fit with Heat:
Richards, 28, became a free agent this summer, last playing with the Chicago Bulls, who acquired him from the Phoenix Suns ahead of the trade deadline.
In 20 games (four starts) with Chicago, he averaged 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks on 57.7 percent true shooting. On a per-75-possession basis, his numbers equal out to 14.7 points and 11.9 rebounds — which are encouraging, albeit over a small sample.
Miami lacks frontcourt size behind Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bobby Portis is an OK option, but he’s more of a (4/5) tweener than a true backup 5. Richards, listed at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and 9-foot standing reach, is arguably the best available option to fill that need.
The six-year veteran is a solid screener, rim-runner and vertical spacer. He’s also an above-average rebounder, as his 19.8 rebound percentage and 12.6 offensive rebound percentage over the last two seasons rank in the 75th and 67th percentile, respectively, of all big men taller than 6-foot-9 (min. 1750 MIN).
Richards is also a respectable shot-blocker, but has a tendency to get caught out of position defensively. Still, he would be a quality insurance option as the Heat round out the rest of their roster.
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
- 3 All-Star’s that could eventually become available to boost Heat title hopes
- Hanifan’s offseason outlook: Evaluating the Indiana Pacers’ 2026 offseason
- Why Erik Spoelstra could finally earn this coveted award in 2026-27
- Hanifan’s offseason outlook: Evaluating the Detroit Pistons’ 2026 offseason
- Hanifan’s offseason outlook: Evaluating the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2026 offseason
- Front office may have used this calculated strategy to re-shape Heat roster
- Addition of Nick Richards provides the rotation depth that was never addressed one year ago
DeRozan’s continued waiting for Miami might be moot. Washington still has its full mid-level exception ($15 million) to offer him, which is more than any other team actively pursuing him. Oh well. If the stars don’t align for Thompson, I hear Gabe Vincent is still available (real cheap).
It looks like Denver is now very interested in pursuing DeRozan after trading Peyton Watson to Cleveland for picks.
dd prob waiting for more $$ than we can offer
please no
harden 3 for 97 they could have used that $$ to sign lebron no?
The whole Lakers team is coming into Slovenia this weekend. It would be interesting to see a bunch of big and long people off the basketball court.
Keith Smith on veteran extension candidates
“Keep an eye on younger players like Moussa Diabate, Pelle Larsson and Jamal Shead. All have become key rotation contributors for their teams. Diabate is set to become an unrestricted free agent without an extension, so there’s some urgency there. Larsson and Shead can both be made restricted free agents. But with somewhere between seven and 10 teams expected to have meaningful cap space in the summer of 2027, the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors might not want to risk letting either player hit even the restricted market.”
https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/3438/nba-extension-eligible-player-updates
Cleveland, with acquisition of Watson, would probably be considered a legitimate contender now.
At the start of the playoffs Boston was the favorite to win the east but CLE was considered the sharp bet as the second or third favorite. Seemed crazy to me with Mitchell and Harden’s playoff record. I think that’s one area where a great offensive rating in the regular season can be misleading if it comes at the expense of defense. Watson definitely helps but I cant get over that ECF performance last year, they just completely gave up and stopped fighting vs NYK and it was over after the 4Q of Game 1. They technically made the ECF and are saying thats an accomplishment but they weren’t a good ECF team IMO and their playoff record was 8-10.
Also am a little skeptical of individual scoring numbers on a Jokic team. Larry Bird said he would not sign anyone on LeBron’s teams because he makes the game so easy for his teammates, similar thing with Jokic IMO. If Watson can give them legit wing defense that’s what they desperately need, but then they still have a starting backcourt that can’t defend.
Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.
in football def.bball doesnt apply as much.talent wins..brunson plays little d.kats d not great either.
Offense wins, was more saying that some regular season offenses with really high ratings can struggle in playoffs if they’re built around one way players and if their rating is propped up by 3PT shooting. Heard so many people before this playoffs say the value is all on Cleveland to win the east because of how good their offense is. Then Atkinson kept saying how they were playing so well, just missing shots, really surprised they’re just running it all back with Watson in for Dean Wade. That’s a lot on Watson to improve the team
what about the ultimate team player magic u wouldnt want kareem
east just got harder.there are so many good teams in the east that if greek is out we’re not beating any of these top teams.greeks gonna miss some time hopefully no more than 10 games.i believe the generals w.o greek would beat us the east is really good
marlins season officially over
A lot of years the Phillies did us in. I want some payback somewhere down the line.
The BS call on Sanjoa’s 1B side hit in the first game mushed the rest of the series. Ugh
This team will get swept then turnaround and sweep a team, so I’m not in HFL’s camp, but it’s time they go on a run.
Hey, the Dodger bandwagon has a few openings. I’ll put in a good word for you.
anybody but lad and nyy
I thought winning was the most important thing…even more important than loyalty to players or teams.
This opens the door for DeMar to Nuggets. I’m very curious to see what they offer him.
i think theyre looking to have $$ next year for jokic.sanoja call should have been reviewed .not sure if those plays are reviewable.would have tied game marlins are just not good enough with 3 elite pitchers if they can add a few bats they can be really good
We’ll find out what Miami plans to do soon enough. The NBA deadline to waive and stretch players is August 29th. If Thompson is not available, Riley better hope DeRozan still is. Otherwise, the only other option is a trade. Unfortunately, until Jovic can demonstrate that he is legitimate rotation player, that is going to be difficult. Meanwhile, Richards would be a good signing for vet minimum. The Heat still need a back-up for Bam.
Portland has a bottleneck at guard and needs to trade at least one of them.
Blazers receive: Andrew Wiggins, Dru Smith – 2nd round picks (2027 & 2031)
Heat Receives: Jrue Holiday
Miami would still have enough money left to sign Richards and possibly 1-2 others on rookie or vet minimum contracts (e.g. Tre Donaldson, Jahmir Young, Trevor Keels).
Holiday, Larsson, Wiggins, Giannis, Bam
Mitchell, Hardaway, Jovic/Fontecchio, Portis, Richards
Young, Conwell, Gardner, Donaldson,
That trade helps Portland cut salary and balance their rotation, with contracts next year Wiggins and Dru <$20m combined vs Holiday $37m PO. All of the proposed trades this offseason and last year for Wiggins IMO are for a reason, he is a valuable player at a highly scarce position. I would take Wiggins over Holiday, he wants to be in Miami and fits perfectly with Bam and Giannis.
wiggins dru for jru id sign up for that sm.davs a back up unless he ups that scoring.cant have a pg in single digit scoring
10 ppg would be double digits. Would that work for you?
i just want to see him more offensive minded rc.
But you didn’t answer my question
Woops!
id rather bring holiday in and have dav as my backup
no cuz maxey brunson are prob dropping 25-30 so that negative 15-20 at pg position.i want davin at 13-15 ppg 2g 13 greek 28 bam 20 wig 18.
Okay, if he improves by 4 points, he will be right there. I think that’s very possible.
14 hes top 10 pg 16 top 8 20 top 6.thats the way it goes rc.right now got dav maybe at 15th
I found a similar one that I like even better. I’m not suggesting it can happen, but….
From Yahoo –
Heat receives: Holiday, da Silva, and second round picks in 2028 and 2031 (via POR)
Magic receives: Dru and second round picks in 2027 and 2031 (from MIA)
Blazers receive: Andrew Wiggins
I liked da Silva coming out of the ‘24 draft. 25 year old with some upside.
when u bring in ja have dame holiday not needed,when u have davin and dru holiday needed
The love affair with DeMar DeRozan on this board is strange.
He’s a zero defensively. He’s offensive game is limited to mid range and slashing (Miami kinda already has players in that part of the court). He’s never come off the bench. And he wants a chunk of money.
For such a great player – his teams have only made the playoffs 7 times in his 17 year career. Never played in a Finals. He just isn’t a winning player (losing record overall), which is rare for players among the all-time scoring leaders.
He’s a good scorer on bad teams, and that’s pretty much it.
I for one would rather see Nick Richards and Bruce Brown or someone else who can actually hit a 3 point shot as a role player, than a used to be All-Star, who doesn’t fill Miami’s holes.
You make a good point. But Miami only has one scorer in Giannis. When Giannis gets subbed out, the team might struggle with scoring if they face a good defense (which the Knicks, 76ers and Celtics have). Derozan would be useful in such situations. I am somewhere in the middle regarding Derozan, I agree with both sides. The Heat struggled has struggled on offense before and have lost two of their best scorers. I think it is a valid concern.
I mean Bam scored more than DeRozen last year, occupies the same space as DeMar would. So in this scenario, both are on the bench?
Look if the Heat sign DeMar I’ll be happy to root for him. I didn’t like Andrew Wiggins, but I’m happily rooting for his success. I just don’t think a ball dominant 37 year old, who really rarely plays winning basketball, moves the needle.
Folks around here act like if he signs with the Nuggets or Cavs, the sky is falling. DeRozan would (or should) be a bench piece at this point in his career, we don’t know what that looks like as he’s never done it. I just think anyone Miami is signing on/after 8/20, isn’t likely to make them a champion, so I’d rather fill the holes that they appear to have, than hope that a 37 year old mid-range king can suddenly become a winning piece of a contender.
And to throw a bit more shade at DeMar (again if they sign him so be it), I’ll cheer for him. Buuuuuut…
For his career – he has a negative +/-. He has a negative on/off. His teams overall have a losing record in the regular season (name another NBA all time scoring leader with that). He’s made the playoffs only 7 times in 17 years. His teams having a losing record in the playoffs. He’s never made it past a conference finals. He has a negative +/- in the playoffs. There are articles as old as 2016 talking about how he’s effectively a one dimensional player (no defense, no passing, no 3 point shooting). He’s an all time great scorer, who spent his most of his career as the primary scoring option, on BAD teams.
I could understand being disappointed LeBron didn’t sign with Miami. He’s an all time great, who while his defense has declined, still offers multiple skills. I don’t get why folks are so ready to be mad at Pat about losing out on DeMar.
I am familiar with the negatives and I have my doubts myself. But he could be a positive addition (not a saviour at his age) IF he is ready to be a bench player for the Heat and have a limited role (and salary). We don’t know whether he is willing to do that, so in a way the situation is similar as with Klay. We don’t have a clue whether any of them would be even interested to play for Miami. But neither of them is a needle mover at this stage of their careers.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said, I disagree with the narrative the OP I responded to has (and many on this board have had).
“Riley better hope DeRozan still is.”
Why. DeRozan is unlikely to be the difference between a team being a play-in and a champion. He, in his prime wasn’t that. The best team he ever played for reached the pinnacle, as soon as they traded him for a better player. Riley needs to hope that Jovic lives up to his contract or that THJ, Portis and Wiggins continue their 3point success from last year, a whole lot more than he needs to hope to sign a past his prime scorer.
I’m somewhere in the middle on this (uh oh). There is no way DeRozan can be a starter on this team. Yet, as long as he’s willing, he could be a solid asset coming off the bench. If a player is asked to play a totally different position outside their skill set or comfort level (like trying to play Jovic at center) , that could be a problem. But I don’t see why a player would struggle playing exactly the same position off the bench that they’ve played their entire career as a starter. I’d be happy to get him here, but there are other options as well.
he was traded for kawhi case closed he shoots almost 50% every year ,his defense is fine hes got the build to play d.
I agree. DeRozan would be great off the bench and at closing time when clutch buckets are at a premium.
Richards yes. Brown not so much. Check out how many games he’s averaged per season the past few years. It’s easy to blurt out names impulsively. Researching players takes a tad more effort
There are other players who have played on bad teams most of their careers (Booker, Beal, Sabonis to name a few).
Other than Thompson, who like LeBron is not currently available, which other free agent players can Miami afford to bring in? How many of them are closers during crunch time? There aren’t many.
What makes DeMar a closer in crunch time? His record would say he’s not very good as closing games.
Raptors managed to close a title as soon as they shipped him out for a real closer.
Averaging 20 PPG doesn’t make you an elite player.
Also – Bruce Brown missed 41 two years ago and 15 the year before. If we’re worrying about missed games, than none of it matters, because we have one of the leaders in that club has as the pilar of the franchise right now.
Also in what world – does a team with Giannis – want the ball in DeRozan’s hand to close the game?
I didn’t realize there was a limit on how many closers a team can use.
Teams put the ball in their best players hands to close games. There is no chance DeRozan would get the ball regularly/routinely over Giannis at the end of games.
Most of the defensive attention DeRozan gets comes when he has the ball, and most of his shots come after 2 seconds of him with the ball. When he’s off the ball defenders don’t need to guard him as closely. He doesn’t help change the opponents gameplan to sit in the paint vs the Heat, crowd the driving lanes and throw multiple defenders at Giannis, while daring the rest of the team to make outside shots. That’s the reason he’s not the top FA addition they’re going after with the rest of the MLE.
DeRozan is widely recognized as one of the premier “closers” and most clutch fourth-quarter scorers in the modern NBA. He has consistently ranked at or near the top of the league in total clutch points, fourth-quarter scoring, and game-winning buzzer-beaters across his stints with teams like the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.
He may not be the player we need at the starting 2, but he’d be a good addition to our team. As others have said, if we get him plus a sg plus a backup center, it would be ideal.
How do they do that with $8.9m left of the MLE? The reporting is the Heat are saving the MLE for Thompson. DeRozan surely wants the MLE and deserves it based on his production. This goes back to the idea that it is one or the other, and that’s the reason they are waiting to see if Dallas buys out Klay.
He would very likely be a useful addition.
Sign him
I agree. We need a backup big. Portis is the only backup we have. Goldin doesn’t seem to be an NBA level player. And Jovic is a big questionmark and does not play like a PF anyway. I don’t want to suffer through another season without a reliable backup front court. It takes one injury and they will be forced to play guys at positions out of their comfort zone as we seem to do almost every season.
Wiggins at 8’11” standing reach and Jovic 6’11” tall, 9’0.5″ standing reach at the 3/SF is a big change from Jaquez 8’3.5″ and Larsson 8’6″ last year. Trying to think what frontcourts would be bigger 3-5, can’t be that many
“Size isn’t everything.”
~ Muggsy Bogues ~
(Height: 5’3″)
I thought adding size was the #1 goal here last year with all the complaints about small ball. Heat did that and have an actual twin towers lineup now, and with PF sized wings and a wing sized SG in Larsson.
quality #1 goal small or big just didnt have enough quality players.jalen brunson came up big.luke kornett kinda big.josh hart dawgs needed not manute bols
That was last year. Apparently, this year it’s playmaking and 3 point shooting, plus a big (like Richards) if there is any money left.
Yes, but again we don’t have backup bigs. Well, we have one in Portis. That’s not enough. I don’t want to watch Niko to play center and Wiggins as PF.
At PF/C team going from Bam and Ware last year to Bam, Giannis, Portis. Agree that another backup would be good but this is a 3rd/4th backup big position that can be added to the roster now or in season.
It takes one injury to either Bam/Giannis/Portis. We had the same problem last season. I don’t think Niko, Wiggins and Goldin are the solution for our front court, but this is exactly what we will get once one of the rotation guys isn’t available. I hope we get a reliable backup before the season starts.
It’s different though because there are now three bigs vs only two last year. I think Portis on defense is about what Ware was but with better rebounding, and he’s the third big. I would guess Wiggins will again be PF in some lineups this year based on matchups. Besides more talent there’s much more lineup versatility than last year. Finding a fourth big, more defensive leaning to contrast with Portis, is IMO a good problem to have.
I agree. Def more versatility this year and more depth. It’s going to be an exciting season
mrs jefferson might not agree with dat
As long as Mrs. sm does, who cares?
wiggins never crashing the boards getting dirty.one thing i liked about jaco no fear tobattle with the bigs for off rebounds .wigg is more of an individual player doesnt make players around him better.holiday has a powerhouse build who makes players around him better plus he played with greek gotta try to get him down here.rather have jrue than wig.u can plug thjr at the 3
Wiggins guarding the opponent’s top scorer every night, not needing the ball on offense but being asked to create late in the clock if the offense breaks down, crashing the glass for orebs, he had a career high last year, that’s to me the definition of dirty work. Not everyone can do that/wants to do that, play defense and also not get the ball on offense.
The Holiday trade buzz is strange to me, would not say anyone with his defense is overrated but IMO he’s rated correctly. His contract though is for $37m. He’s great but a big part of his reputation is from being the 3rd best player on Milwaukee, 3rd or 4th on Boston title teams.
i dont think hes great anymore father time but hes an upgrade over davin.wiggins guarding the top scorer yeah if the guy is a small forward,hes not guarding brunson kat og he;d be guarding bridges his twin brother.wigg on champ team 4th option.bam 3rd option.kd 2nd option .i dont think holiday is a no 2 option so lets get kd here to.if bam is the 2nd best player imo no jewelry.i believe dd also is a valid #2 option
If Wiggins can guard SGA why can’t he guard Brunson? I don’t remember who guarded Brunson this year but teams usually put big wing defenders on him and throw multiple people at him. That would be Wiggins and Larsson on this team. Brunson is impossible to stop 1 v 1, just have to slow him down. Then turn it around and make NYK guard in space with KAT and get him in foul trouble. They lost Mitchell Robinson and that’s a big deal.
Giannis, Bam, Wiggins, Larsson, Davion plus shooters and that is a dynamic offense. Davion is one of the best POA defenders in the league and doesn’t even need to improve his offense to be a difference maker. Perimeter defense + shooting from the 1-3 spots and the Giannis/Bam frontcourt does the rest, they are basically guards on offense and that’s why Spo is so excited.
wigg or jjj id rather have jjj its close both a little above avg players.ill take a josh hart with less stats over both
Wiggins is a better floor spacer and defender than JJJ. He’s proven as a top player on a title team. Jaquez and Hart both bring a lot but neither bring Wiggins skillset on this team. Both have a 8’3.5″ standing reach. Sort of surprised people are low on Wiggins here, he’s pretty great as a starting SF.
And the other thing about Wiggins, he was a #1 option to start his career and those skills haven’t left him, just been downsized as he’s focused on defense and shooting. That’s what teams are looking for, multidimensional players who can do everything.
Jaquez on upward trajectory with equal scoring and better playmaking and rebounding skills. He is also much better at creating his own shots in the paint.His defense is average or better. He’s 6-7 years younger.
I don’t think those two are in the same conversation at all personally, Jaquez’s defense is average at best, he competes on defense and can make plays but lacks the length to contest shots. On offense the system Miami ran last year was ideal for him as a 6th man point forward, but he doesn’t fit on every team with his lack of 3PT shooting.
Jaquez 4.2 rim FGA, 68.2% at rim vs Wiggins 3.2, 65.9%
Jaquez 1.3 ORB, Wiggins 1.7
Jaquez 2.9 FTA, Wiggins 2.4
Their offensive numbers in the paint are similar, Jaquez was better at the rim, had less offensive rebounds, took more free throws but not by much. Wiggins was 92nd percentile in 3P% and Jaquez 20th. Jaquez is an on ball player on offense while Wiggins can play on and off ball. They’ll probably make around the same after this year and IMO Wiggins is by far the better player and better fit on this team.
The jury is still out on that. This season should tell us a lot more about both players in terms of productivity.
You’re saying Jaquez is a better player, so you do not think he will be making $15m or more as a RFA after this year? I don’t really get the comparison in the first place, Jaquez is an undersized wing without shooting, Wiggins is a big wing defender with a 3PT shot and midrange ability. Wiggins and Larsson is a better comparison IMO because they are both out there for defense. And Wiggins has already proven himself in his career.
New? I had him on the list and have brought him up multiple times, especially after Riley’s comments.
I think we need another big body to occasionally bang with some of the guys around the league and minimize some wear and tear on Bam and Giannis.
Sign that mother up.
He’d be a nice piece. Still if they are really putting their eggs in the Klay basket, I doubt anything happens quickly.
Agree but all these guys seem to know what’s going on and are not in a rush. DeRozan, Brown, Richards etc.
They may not be in a rush but they may get tired of waiting for Riley to decide if they are wanted or not. I haven’t heard that Johnston would prefer Miami over the Lakers or Warriors. After all, he is from L.A. and has strong connections to both teams. Kind of like the LeBron situation. Study long…study wrong.
Another bird in the hand. Oh, wait, I forgot. Klay is coming. No money.
The offensive plan looks to be just drive to the lane, slam dunk or draw the foul. Limited perimeter players. Taking the game back to the early 2000’s
Sign him up
Approved!