Just a few weeks after Miami pulled off the kind of trade that rewrites franchise history — landing Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee — the Heat are still hunting for the right pieces to surround him. And one name reportedly on the table is a familiar one.
According to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, Bam Adebayo has personally asked the organization to pursue a reunion with guard Gabe Vincent, currently a free agent after finishing last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
“Things didn’t work out [with the Lakers]… He has a few teams interested in him right now,” Siegel said on a recent episode of Clutch Scoops. “I’ve heard that Bam Adebayo has asked the Heat to bring him back.”
It’s not hard to see why Adebayo would want Vincent back in the fold. The two spent years building chemistry in Miami’s system, and Vincent was a massive part of the Heat’s 2023 Eastern Conference title run — the one where a No. 8 seed just kept winning until they ran into Denver in the Finals. Vincent averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 assists and shot nearly 38 percent from three across 22 playoff games that year. That version of Vincent was exactly the kind of tough, smart guard Erik Spoelstra trusts in big moments.
This past season wasn’t as kind. Vincent bounced from the Lakers to the Hawks in a deadline trade that sent Luke Kennard the other way. His counting stats — 4.4 points, 1.4 assists, shooting 35 percent from the field and 34 from deep — don’t jump off the page. But he’s still only 30, he knows the culture, and he wouldn’t need a ramp-up period to figure out where to stand in Spoelstra’s offense.
Miami has already been busy reshaping the roster around Antetokounmpo. They signed Tim Hardaway Jr., kicked the tires on LeBron James as a free agent, and waived DeMar DeRozan after a buyout with the Kings cleared his way out of Sacramento. Adding Vincent wouldn’t move the needle like those names, but it would give Miami another guard who can handle pressure and play off the ball — someone who doesn’t need the rock in his hands to be effective.
Whether the Heat actually make a move for Vincent is still up in the air. The team hasn’t confirmed anything, and there are other suitors. But Adebayo’s request is a strong signal that the locker room sees Vincent as someone who can help. That carries weight in Miami, where the front office has historically listened to its stars when it comes to fit and culture.
Vincent’s best basketball came in a Heat uniform. And if his old teammate gets his way, he might get another shot at playing it.
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