Less than 48 hours ago, four of the Miami Heat’s starting five — Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo — heading into the new season were all but locks as currently constructed.
While we were still over one month away from training camp, the perception was that the final spot would’ve been given to either Pelle Larsson or Tim Hardaway Jr.
On Friday, though, things changed — for the better. The Miami Heat signed veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who the Dallas Mavericks bought out. Barring injury, the move crystallizes one of the best starting lineups in the East entering the 2026-27 season.
Why Klay Thompson should start:
Before the move, the Heat still had three open roster spots — two of which they would use. Arguably their biggest need was volume 3-point shooting, as two of their best volume threats from outside (Norman Powell, Tyler Herro) were no longer on the roster.
While the Heat had plenty of efficient 3-point shooting, only Simone Fontecchio posed a real threat as a legitimate floor spacer. The 6-foot-8 forward was one of four Heat players last season to attempt at least six triple tries per 75 possessions, the second-fewest in the NBA.
Adding Thompson now buoys the necessary spacing to surround the two-headed horse of Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
The 13-year veteran is a career 40.9 percent marksman from 3-point range. He shot 38.3 percent on 7.6 attempts per game last season, and has shot 39.3 percent from distance (8.8 3PA) over the last five years. He’s third among active players in made threes, and fourth in NBA History, with 2,899.
I don’t think I need to provide any additional reasoning as to why he’ll be an extremely helpful addition to this Heat roster.
It also makes sense to start Thompson because it slots Hardaway back into a sixth-man role. And it allows Larsson to function as a secondary creator off the bench.
Where Heat’s new starting lineup stacks up in East:
Of the 17 lineups that played at least 250 non-garbage-time minutes last season, nine finished with an average NET Rating above nine points per 100 possessions. The best? Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball-Kon Knueppel-Brandon Miller-Miles Bridges-Moussa Diabate quintet, which sported a plus-25.1 NET in 509 minutes.
However, Ball was shipped to Minnesota, while Bridges was dispatched to Phoenix. Four of the following six best are out West, so the Heat’s new-look starting five could be one of the best in the East entering the new season.
At the end of the day, who starts isn’t as important as who closes. Miami has a bevy of options it can go to late, depending on who’s active, the game flow and the respective matchup that night. But how you start games can also be the deciding factor certain nights.
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Check out Hot Hot Hoops on Facebook here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
- Heat are “monitoring” Victor Oladipo’s comeback with one open roster spot remaining
- Hanifan’s offseason outlook: Evaluating the Brooklyn Nets’ 2026 offseason
- 3 way-too-early bold predictions for the Miami Heat ahead of 2026-27 season
- Hanifan’s offseason outlook: Evaluating the Boston Celtics’ 2026 offseason
- A way-too-early look at the Miami Heat’s 5 biggest X-factors for 2026-27 season
- Hanifan’s offseason outlook: Evaluating the Atlanta Hawks’ 2026 offseason
- Grading the signing: Heat add Nick Richards
The four regular season games against Orlando Magic are games I am looking forward to .
As Stevie Wonder would say- Signed, Sealed, Delivered! It’s official.
Depending on the opponent, I can see any one of the three starting or closing. It’s a nice problem to have. However, I see Thompson and Hardaway as SGs and Larsson more as a combo SG/SF.