When the Miami Heat finally addressed their 14th roster spot with the signing of Nick Richards, they added an athletic and traditional backup big into their revamped depth chart.
At 28 years old, Richards is coming off a 2025-26 season with averages of 5.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game in just under 15 minutes of playing time. Those numbers per 36 minutes come out to 14.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on nearly 52% shooting— which shows that he is capable of being a double-double threat when given the opportunity.
He split this past season playing with both the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls.
Richards was primed to get a chance to join Miami after there were several videos circulating of him working out with Heat players. Pat Riley shared earlier this summer that he was interested in getting some big man depth in Miami’s power rotation, and that’s exactly what Richards brings at a veteran minimum price tag.
The Heat played through all of the 2025-26 season without a backup big on the roster.
Rewind to a year ago, the center position on the depth chart was almost nonexistent. The Heat went into the 2025-26 campaign relying on essentially just Bam Adebayo and sophomore Kel’el Ware, in which they often started alongside each other for stretches of the season— leaving no true backup center behind them.
That lack of positional depth forced Nikola Jovic to get some run at center in some games, which isn’t his natural position. Miami ultimately went the entire season without addressing the thinness of their frontcourt. They gave a shot at a Precious Achiuwa reunion before training camp, but they waived him before the start of the regular season. The Heat’s last true backup big man was Thomas Bryant two seasons ago.
However, the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and now Richards this summer provides more reinforcements than they’ve had in just a couple months of an offseason compared to the entirety of the previous season.
At 6-foot-11, Richards has shown in spurts that he is capable of dominating the glass and finishing at the rim throughout his career. And his addition to this Heat roster now highlights size, versatility and two-way abilities with this new frontcourt depth.
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if we had richards versus denver prob win that series.poor little bam had no chance vs joker
He wouldn’t have played. He and Bam have the same career individual DRB%, and more than individual rebounds Bam improves the team DRB% when on the court. This can’t be another year where all year the comments are how the Heat should play a backup center over a DPOY candidate, seen that with Yurtseven and Ware already.
The starters need to rest some time. Plus there are injuries etc. The better the depth, the better the results.
Yup, and nobody is going to dictate what our comments and opinions should or shouldn’t be.
point being bams not a center hes a pf he had no shot versus a much bigger man watch the game 15 this not on an internet website,richards a legit 7 foot not as skilled as bam clearly but size wise on defense would have been a better matchup imo.did u watch the game if u did i think youll agree with my fair assessment
Watched the Finals where Bam played the most minutes on the team, had the most points and rebounds, the problem in that series wasn’t Bam. The Heat were outsized 1-5 and nothing was stopping Jokic surrounded by athletes and size that year.
I like Richards but he’s a third string, backup center at best, on a nonguaranteed contract right now. He has a 2″ standing reach advantage over Bam and that’s it, his defense is not anywhere remotely close. If he’s on the team his primary role is 5-15 minutes in regular season games. He would not have played in the Finals and saying he would be a better matchup than Bam on a 2x MVP/Finals MVP Jokic is among the worst basketball opinions on this site if you’re serious and not trolling, there are a lot to choose from.
Pat loves the scrappers
Richards makes the perfect back-up big…one with an attitude and something to prove.
True. Our front court has undergone a major upgrade and is now our biggest asset
champ fc bc not quite but with greek we could win it all