DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings dribbling the ball is guarded by Elijah Harkless #16 of the Utah Jazz in the second half at Golden 1 Center on March 15, 2026 in Sacramento, California.
Thearon W. Henderson
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After absorbing the sting of LeBron James opting to join the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, the Heat now turns its attention to filling out a roster that boasts one of the Eastern Conference’s best frontcourts but weakest backcourts.
James’ decision to join the 76ers leaves Miami with 12 players on standard contracts, three below the maximum.
Heat president Pat Riley has said the Heat would like to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and their teammates with another creator, shooter and another big man.
“Everybody talks about shooting; that’s not the main priority right now,” Riley told Dan Le Batard this week. “It’s another playmaker.”
Exploring the options with James now off the board:
Shooting guards/wings
The Heat and free agent Demar DeRozan have had mutual interest in the past, and fresh conversations are expected in the wake of James picking the 76ers.
DeRozan, 36, isn’t a three-point shooter (just 30.2% in his career) but remains a highly skilled midrange shooter who can generate his own shot and at times, create for others.
The six-time All-Star averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% shooting in 77 starts for the Sacramento Kings last season, while chipping in 4.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game.
DeRozan isn’t considered a playmaker, but he has averaged 4.1 assists in his career, including 6.9 in 2020-21 for the Spurs.
“He’s had years in San Antonio where he passed it more,” a veteran Eastern Conference scout said. “He’s a midrange guy and on a given night, he can get you points. He doesn’t do much else. If he accepted the role off the bench, and then finishes the game, he could be fine.”
DeRozan, 6-6, would give the Heat a high-scoring sixth man, but starting him would be problematic because the Heat would then have three low-percentage three point shooters in its lineup (DeRozan, Antetokounmpo and Adebayo).
If DeRozan signs, the Heat likely still would need another skilled three-point shooter. Though Miami has four players who ranked in the top 38 in three-point percentage last season, the perception has been that the Heat is one shooter short.
Riley said last week that “we will continue to try to find players who are absolutely marksmen. And there still are some out there. You want to have a real sniper out there, too, that always is guarded by somebody.”
According to a source, the Heat has targeted Dallas guard Klay Thompson, who shot 38% on threes last season and is fourth all time in three pointers. But the Mavericks would prefer to trade Thompson than buy him out, and that could delay or eliminate this option for Miami unless Thompson pushes for a buyout in the weeks ahead, something that remains a possibility.
If Thompson agrees to give up a large chunk of the $17.5 million he’s owed by Dallas, the Heat could pay him as much as $7 million. But it’s unclear if Thompson would be willing to make that sacrifice, especially with James opting for Philadelphia.
If the Heat concludes that waiting on Thompson isn’t realistic, Miami could consider free agent Bradley Beal, who would welcome Heat interest after opting out of a Clippers contract that would have paid him $5.5 million. Beal’s camp and the Heat spoke earlier this offseason.
ESPN’s Shams Charania said Friday afternoon that Heat will “now shift their focus to players like Demar DeRozan, Bradley Beal. Could you find a player like Klay Thompson on the buyout market?”
Other shooting guards still available: Seth Curry (brother of Steph), Cam Thomas (cut by both the Nets and Bucks last season), Bruce Brown (skilled defender but 34.4% career three-point shooter), past-his-prime Doug McDermott and guard/forward Nick Batum and veteran Gary Payton II.
One Memphis Grizzlies player, 6-5 Kentavious Caldwell Pope, plans to join the 76ers after taking a buyout, according to NBA reporter Chris Haynes. Another Memphis player who could become available: 6-3 combo guard D’Angelo Russell, who has averaged 17 points per game and shot 36.3% on threes in his career.
Also, Buddy Hield — who has had mutual interest from the Heat at times in the past — is on the Hawks’ books for $9 million next season but isn’t in the team’s plans, according to The Athletic. Hield averaged 7.6 points and shot 34.9% on threes in 51 games for the Warriors and Hawks last season; he’s a career 39.5% three-point shooter.
If the Heat prefers to add a natural point guard to supplement Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith, options include Russell Westbrook, combo guard Gabe Vincent, Cam Payne and Aaron Holiday.
Westbrook is by far the most accomplished playmaker still available, but the Heat has bypassed him in the past.
“I wouldn’t touch him in a million years,” the scout said. “The way he plays, he can’t really shoot. You need a more deferential system kind of guy.”
Westbrook, 37, averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 64 games (58 starts) for Sacramento last season while shooting 42.7% from the field and 33.8% on three-pointers.
Though he was 13th in the league in assists last season, he’s a career 30.2% three-point shooter, and it thus would be difficult to play him alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo and have the necessary spacing offensively.
Centers
Riley said he would like to add a big man who can either “stretch the floor” or is “more of a contemporary big, very athletic, and rim protector.” But there’s no particularly appealing option available.
Centers who remain unrestricted free agents include 6-11 Nick Richards (9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals in 20 games and four starts for Chicago after beginning the season in Phoenix), 6-8 Bismack Biyombo (played in fewer than 30 games for the Spurs each of the past two seasons, but started 26 games the first of two seasons and just one last year) and 6-10 Tony Bradley (4.0 ppg, 2.8 rbs game in 41 games and four starts, mostly for Indiana).
Also available in free agency: 6-10 Kevin Love (the former Heat player averaged 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds for Utah), 6-10 Drew Eubanks (5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds in 42 games and 11 starts for Sacramento) and 7-0 Kelly Olynyk, a stretch big and former Heat player who averaged 8.6 minutes and 3.2 points in 42 games for the Spurs.
Heat roster
While operating under a $209 million hard cap, the Heat has the ability to give one player the remaining $7 million of its midlevel exception and another player the veteran’s minimum ($3.9 million) and then add a 15th player at the minimum several weeks into the season.
The Heat also could give three players minimum deals – or two players minimum deals and one player $5 million – and open the season with the maximum 15 players on standard deals.
Heat players with standard contracts: Antetokounmpo ($58.5 million for 2026-27), Adebayo ($49.5 million), Andrew Wiggins ($30.2 million), Nikola Jovic ($16.2 million), Bobby Portis ($14.5 million), Mitchell ($12.4 million), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($6 million, Smith ($2.6 million), Simone Fonteccio ($2.6 million), Pelle Larsson ($2.3 million), Myron Gardner ($500,000 of $2.6 million salary guaranteed) and Ryan Conwell ($1.4 million).
This story was originally published July 24, 2026 at 12:44 PM.
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.