The Miami Heat pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason, landing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee. That part is done. But the roster that’s left behind has some obvious gaps, and the front office knows it.
To get the Greek Freak, Miami sent out Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez, and Kasparas Jakucionis. That’s a lot of young talent and shooting gone in one move. The Heat still have Bam Adebayo and a two-time MVP, but the supporting cast needs work.
Ja Morant could give them a third star. It’s a gamble.
Memphis point guard Ja Morant has two years and about $42 million left on his deal. He’s openly liked Miami in the past, and the Heat have the assets to make something work if they want to go that route. A trio of Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, and Morant would be terrifying in transition and probably the most athletic group in the East.
But Pat Riley has always been cautious about injury history. Morant has played 20, 50, and 9 games over the last three seasons. That’s not just bad luck. Availability is a real question, and the Heat have to decide if the upside is worth the risk. They could pair Morant with Davion Mitchell in the backcourt, but the money math gets complicated fast with the contracts already on the books.
Morant wants a fresh start. The fit is there. The question is whether Miami trusts his body.
LeBron back to South Beach? Probably not, but it’s worth a phone call.
This one feels like a long shot, but the Lakers are in flux, and LeBron James hasn’t committed to anything long-term. He turns 42 in December. He’s not going to carry a team for 38 minutes a night anymore. But next to Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, he wouldn’t have to. He could run the offense as a point-forward, pick his spots, and let the younger guys do the heavy lifting.
The Heat could offer Andrew Wiggins in a sign-and-trade, and Wiggins has been linked to L.A. for a while. James left Miami once with some bad feelings, but winning tends to heal old wounds. If he thinks this version of the Heat can contend — and with Giannis, they can — maybe he picks up the phone. It’s a maybe. Not a plan.
The real fix might be simpler: shooting and a backup big.
Miami’s biggest need after the trade is spacing. Antetokounmpo needs room to operate, and the Heat don’t have enough reliable shooters right now. Norman Powell could re-sign, but he’s an unrestricted free agent and might get paid elsewhere. Cheaper options like Luke Kennard, Gary Trent, or Gary Harris could work. Khris Middleton would bring familiarity with Giannis, but he’s not the defender he used to be.
Behind Adebayo, the frontcourt is thin. Bobby Portis helps, but he’s more of a stretch four than a true center. Jusuf Nurkic, Robert Williams, and Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents this summer. Any of them would give Miami a real backup five without costing much.
The Heat made the league’s biggest splash. Now the real work starts.
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