The most glaring roster hole the Miami Heat must fill this offseason
The Miami Heat are known as a championship organization. Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra led teams are not fond of mediocrity. The post Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade eras have been nothing but the middle Play-In Tournament after Play-In Tournament. Bam Adebayo is the most all-around player the Heat have, and all he is doing is keeping the train on the rails.
The offseason has begun. Exit interviews are over, and putting the next version of the Heat's roster together is in the planning stages. To move forward, you must look back. Let's look at some Heat five-man lineup combinations.
Dwyane Wade says the Miami Heat have Been a disgruntled organization the last few years:
- Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) April 22, 2026
"It's not secret that the Miami Heat need to re tool. They need to figure it out. They continue to put out All Stars but you just got to put out the right mix together so you can get back to… pic.twitter.com/KS0rXd8mjH
LINEUPS
Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had the most games played together (23) with a +1.2 plus-minus on the year. The lineup with the fourth-most games played together is Wiggins, Powell, Bam, Davion, and Larsson, with a plus-minus of +3.7. There is a common thread among this group. Let's explore what that means and what it indicates as the Miami Heat's biggest need to be filled on the roster for next season.
WHAT IT MEANS
The biggest thing that stands out from both lineup combinations is ball-handling ability. The Heat system relies on a player's ability to beat their defender without the use of a screen. All of the players in these lineups are able to handle the basketball and get downhill to the rim.
They are all good defenders except Norman Powell. Andrew Wiggins' point-of-attack days are over, but he is still a good team defender. The best ball-handlers and playmakers of this group are Davion Mitchell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. They are physical on both ends of the floor and have the ball-handling ability to attack the defense and create for others. Wiggins can handle the ball well enough to get to his spots, even though his overall handle is subpar for a wing. Bam is a unique big who can handle better than most at his position. This means all five guys can start the fast break, and all five can initiate read-and-react offense.
This combination allows for the Heat to be competitive when they do not have a dynamic 1A star on the team. The easy route would be to say they need a 1A guy-which they do, desperately. The supporting cast, if they had a 1A, is very good and would make for a competitive roster capable of a deep playoff run instead of another Play-In Tournament appearance. What is the biggest hole the Heat need to fill?
Miami played at one of the fastest paces in the league (103.2) while also ranking among the best teams in limiting turnovers. That speaks to their versatility and collective ball-handling. However, despite those strengths, they finished with a middle-of-the-pack offensive rating and a +2.2 net rating, reinforcing the reality that they are competitive but lack the high-end shot creation needed to take the next step.
WHAT THEY NEED
The Heat need a bigger, dynamic two-way scoring guard. He doesn't have to be a 1A guy right away, but they need someone who can shoot it at a high level, handle the ball at a high level, and be competitive defensively. A positional size upgrade over Davion Mitchell would be ideal. There are several players in the 2026 NBA Draft who fit the bill. Let me know what you think on social media. We will explore this more when I release my Miami Heat big board before the draft.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as The most glaring roster hole the Miami Heat must fill this offseason.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 9:29 AM.