{"id":194996,"date":"2026-03-17T14:52:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/194996\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T14:52:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:52:23","slug":"how-could-expansion-affect-the-miami-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/194996\/","title":{"rendered":"How could expansion affect the Miami Heat?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Expansion seems to be somewhere on the horizon, and that could mean big changes for the NBA landscape. It would trigger an expansion draft, and in the past, teams have been able to protect up to eight players who are under contract for the next season from being picked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the Miami Heat\u2019s case, what would it mean for the six prospects, including 22-year-old Nikola Jovi\u0107 if hypothetically there was one at the end of the season? Most of them would be protected, but it seems that Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell are the veterans who would stay, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kel\u2019el Ware would all go higher in re-draft. To boot, Ware has the highest ceiling, possessing an inside and out game, with shot blocking and rebounding skills. He\u2019s going to be a dangerous player when he figures out how to keep his motor running full-time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The NBA\u2019s current expansion draft rules:<\/p>\n

– Expansion teams will get to \u201csteal\u201d unprotected players from teams
– Teams can protect 8 of their players
– Teams can\u2019t protect players on expiring contracts or restricted free agents
– Only one player taken per team
– Contracts\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

After him, it turns into a real debate, yet the other three are impact players because they are effective at multiple tasks. It also helps that they all have great positional size.<\/p>\n

And that leaves Jovi\u0107 and Myron Gardner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Management decided to extend Jovi\u0107 <\/a>before the season started, thinking it would be a bargain, but he hasn\u2019t done anything to earn it. Now his deal is aging badly without having kicked in, and it would be a big help to the Heat if a team picked him from the expansion draft, which would also clear his contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not a good attacker in the half-court, and he\u2019s dropped off as a 3-point shooter. When he\u2019s not playing with confidence, which happens often, it\u2019s not worth putting him on the floor.<\/p>\n

In fairness to Jovi\u0107, he\u2019s a very young man, and many people, in all walks of life, don\u2019t have it together at that age. He\u2019s talented, and although it may not look like it\u2019s working out with the Heat, there\u2019s still optimism he can be somebody when he\u2019s older.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Gardner\u2019s case, losing him would hurt as well because he has the team\u2018s DNA as a hard worker who takes no BS on the court. Still, the team routinely finds players like him or quality production of equal value. Consider how the development pipeline has made contributors out of Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Rodney McGruder, and Caleb Martin. Their scout team will find others like that again.<\/p>\n