To say that the Miami Heat ended their season in disappointment is an understatement. They finished 10th in the Eastern Conference with a chance to make a deep postseason run. But, all of their hopes came crashing down in a 127-126 heartbreaker against the Charlotte Hornets. Pat Riley has since decided to stay and fix the franchise. His next move? It’s to make a big splash in NBA Free Agency and possibly land Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Riley unveils Heat’s big NBA Free Agency plan, possibly centered around Antetokounmpo
The Heat have a great core in Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Norman Powell. All three have been an NBA All-Star at some point in the last five years. But, Pat Riley and their 2025-26 record show that those small wins were clearly not enough. This is why the big boss in the Heat franchise unveiled his plan on spending big in the upcoming NBA Free Agency, via James Jackson of The Athletic.
“We’ll try hard to aggressively pursue opportunities in free agency and the draft. You got all summer to work on other parts of your roster. I’m not going to make a stupid move that saddles us for years to come. We’ve always managed the tax extremely well. You don’t want to be in any area where you encumber your roster. Player value creation is important, and that’s why you got to keep them on the floor,” Riley said.
The biggest weakness that the Heat had in the past season was their defense. They ranked ninth among all teams in the league when it comes to allowing the most points on a nightly basis. How bad is that number? Well, Riley’s squad 118.5 points per game which says a lot about why they were only 10th in the East. The Heat also have a horrendous 114.5 defensive rating which is 13th in the league. Both metrics suggest that their squad is not good enough to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Acquiring Antetokounmpo from the Bucks could be the panacea that the Heat are looking for. He is still 31 years old with a defensive rating of 115.4 alongside a fairly weak Bucks squad. If Riley and the Heat really are deciding on making a needle-moving signing in NBA Free Agency, there is no doubt that this is what they need.
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