Miami Got Giannis. Now They Need Someone Who Can Actually Shoot.

The Miami Heat pulled off the kind of trade that reshapes a franchise. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP, is now in South Beach. Bobby Portis Jr. came along too. For a team that spent years chasing stars without landing one? That’s a win.

But the roster still looks lopsided. And the next move might involve a young forward who hasn’t quite found his spot.

The Shooting Problem Nobody’s Ignoring

Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in the same frontcourt sounds terrifying for everyone else. Two elite defenders, both capable of wrecking a game on offense in completely different ways. But here’s the thing: neither one stretches the floor. Giannis attacks the rim. Bam operates from the elbows and the post. If the Heat don’t surround them with shooters, opposing defenses can just pack the paint and dare Miami to beat them from deep.

That’s where Nikola Jovic comes in. Or, more accurately, where he might be going out.

Jake Fischer reported for The Stein Line that Miami could shop Jovic in an attempt to add some perimeter shooting. “It has also been suggested that Miami could look now to move Nikola Jović to try to acquire some shooting to help space the floor for Antetokounmpo and his new frontcourt sidekick Bam Adebayo,” Fischer wrote.

Jovic is only 21 years old with some real offensive skill. He can pass, he’s got size, and he’s shown flashes. But the Heat need veterans who can knock down open threes right now, not projects who might figure it out in two years. With Giannis in his prime and Adebayo locked in, the timeline is now.

What Miami’s Roster Actually Looks Like

Let’s be real: the Heat traded a lot to get Giannis. Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis all went to Milwaukee. That’s a haul. Miami gave up its most explosive scorer (Herro), a promising young center (Ware), and two more developing players. The return was a top-five player in the world and a solid rotation big in Portis.

The current roster, pending free agency decisions, includes Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Dru Smith, Keshad Johnson, Myron Gardner, and Norman Powell — whose own situation is unclear. That’s a lot of defense and athleticism and not a ton of reliable three-point shooting.

Powell can shoot, sure. But one guy isn’t enough. Not when you’re trying to build an offense around two non-shooters in the frontcourt.

Free Agency Might Have Some Answers

There are shooters available in free agency who won’t break the bank. Luke Kennard, Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris — guys who know their role, can play off the ball, and won’t demand the ball to be effective. Miami has cap flexibility now and, more importantly, the kind of star gravity that attracts ring-chasers. If Antetokounmpo and Adebayo are your two best players, a lot of shooters will take a discount to be the third option.

Trading Jovic for a plug-and-play wing makes sense. So does keeping him if the front office believes he can develop into that shooter himself. But the Heat didn’t trade for Giannis to wait. They traded for him to win now.

Miami finished 10th in the East last year at 43-39 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019. That already feels like ancient history. The foundation is set. Now it’s about building the walls.