In a recent piece from Miami Heat insider Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, he addressed the possibility of adding one final piece to this new Giannis Antetokounmpo-led build.
And not just to fill the 15th standard roster spot, but a piece that could be acquired capable of putting the Heat ‘over the top’ in their championship aspirations. He added clarity on that type of needle-moving pickup is not available at the moment, but perhaps could be a possibility at the February trade deadline or next summer— which would be heading into year 2 of the Antetokounmpo era.
“At the moment, nobody. But that could change at February’s trade deadline. It could change next summer, if a former All-Star past his prime decides to sign with the Heat for the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception, a mechanism Miami has preserved for the 2027 offseason.
Three former All-Star guards who have been a source of speculation — Kyrie Irving, Zach LaVine and Jrue Holiday — would all boost the Heat’s title hopes. But it’s difficult to see a path for Miami to acquire Irving and Holiday.”
– Barry Jackson via Miami Herald
It is worth noting that the Heat are working with a depleted draft capital after emptying out their asset inventory in the Antetokounmpo deal. They have tradeable contracts like Nikola Jovic and Andrew Wiggins, but their biggest opportunity to improve the roster will likely come from the buyout or free agent market next summer.
1. Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is heading into his age-34 campaign coming off an ACL tear. He’s also had a shaky injury history in the years leading up to that, but he’s undoubtedly the biggest name out of the three stars that Jackson linked as a possible future Heat target. The fact that Irving’s age doesn’t line up with Cooper Flagg’s timeline at 19 years old makes his future in Dallas questionable moving forward.
Irving, when healthy, is still capable of being a 1B superstar alongside Miami’s Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo core. He last averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals on efficient 47.3% shooting and 40.1% from deep in the 2024-25 season. The Heat are missing that type of proven clutch-time bucket getter that can create his own offense. Irving fits that description perfectly.
He is set to have a player option heading into next summer, where he can become an unrestricted free agent. Perhaps the Mavericks opt to settle to get something of trade value at the deadline rather than have Irving walk for nothing.
2. Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine is another former All-Star that will be entering the final year of his contract with the Sacramento Kings. He was a potential buyout candidate this summer, but the Kings ultimately held onto the veteran guard.
Those buyout rumors could emerge again come February or be a midseason trade candidate. The fact that LaVine’s bloated $48 million salary is set to expire after this season makes him an attainable target even if it’s through trade— as Miami could either let LaVine walk entirely next offseason or negotiate a much more affordable deal once he is a free agent. Similar to Irving, LaVine is another shot creator and three-level scorer that would instantly provide a need in the Heat’s rotation.
3. Jrue Holiday
A path to Jrue Holiday, who has been linked in Heat rumors for several years now, is arguably the most difficult out of these three players. He is still under contract throughout the entirety of the 2027-28 season before getting a player option to enter unrestricted free agency.
Holiday’s age and salary make him a tough target to trade for, as he’s owed nearly $35 million for this upcoming season at the age of 36. However, he has been another rumored buyout candidate— especially with the Portland Trail Blazers attempting a three-point guard lineup with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard in the fold.
If Miami can get him on a buyout midseason, that would be a massive upgrade to the team’s point guard depth to add a championship experience two-way skill set at a discounted price tag.
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This is a good illustration of why none of these three players can likely be added to the team until at least February, and possibly after the season. They all have salaries that would be difficult at best to match. While adding another player, particularly at point guard, would definitely improve the team, I believe that the team already has enough to compete at the highest level this season.
Agreed. I want to see what we look like in January with this current iteration. By then, teams will have adjusted to our playstyle and we can see what we really have as a unit.