Pat Riley has been hunting a superstar since LeBron James left in 2016. On the eve of the 2026 NBA Draft, he got one, sending Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis.
That was the easy part.
Miami then let Norman Powell
, its only All-Star last season, sign with Chicago then filled in its roster with veterans on short money.Tim Hardaway Jr., a Sixth Man of the Year finalist in Denver last season, took one year and $6 million. Klay Thompson arrived in late August after a buyout in Dallas. Nick Richards signed a few days later. The Heat still have one roster spot open with camp weeks away.
All of it follows a season that ended in a 127-126 overtime loss to Charlotte
in a play-in elimination game, Miami's first missed postseason since 2019.
Here's a breakdown of the Miami Heat's offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:
Miami Heat offseason review
- Record last season: 43-39 (10th in Eastern Conference)
- Playoff finish: Missed playoffs (lost to Hornets in play-in tournament)
- Coach: Erik Spoelstra (19th season)
- 2026-27 title odds: +3000 (per BetMGM)
- Projected record : 49-33
- Offseason grade : A-
Key roster additions
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo (trade)
- G Klay Thompson (free agent signing)
- F Bobby Portis (trade)
- G Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agent signing)
- C Nick Richards (free agent signing)
Key roster losses
- G Tyler Herro (trade)
- G Norman Powell (free agency)
- C Kel'el Ware (trade)
- G Kasparas Jakucionis
- F Jaime Jaquez Jr. (trade)
Biggest question entering training camp
Who brings the ball up?
Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo will smother people, but the offense is the puzzle. Davion Mitchell is the nominal point guard, Thompson is 36, Hardaway is 34, and behind Antetokounmpo there is almost no one who can create a shot out of nothing. Spoelstra will likely stagger Antetokounmpo and Adebayo so one of them is always at center, with Portis covering the rest.
Miami is also short on size. That was the argument for Richards, and it may not be the last move.
Projected starting lineup and rotation
Starters
- G Davion Mitchell
- G Klay Thompson
- F Andrew Wiggins
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo
- C Bam Adebayo
Rotation players
- G Tim Hardaway Hr.
- G Dru Smith
- F. Pelle Larsson
- Simone Fontecchio
- F Nikola Jovic
- C Bobby Portis
What to expect in 2026-27 season
Miami is the division favorite and nobody is arguing. BetMGM lists the Heat at +160 to win the Southeast, with Orlando next at +250.
The Heat scored 120.9 points per game last season, most in the division, and gave up 118.5, worst among the four teams that competed for anything. Antetokounmpo and Adebayo should erase a good deal of that second number by themselves. Whether Miami can survive a seven-game series against Philadelphia or Toronto depends on health and on finding one more creator, probably at the deadline.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Heat season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
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