With star injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton (along with the departure of Damian Lillard) knocking several Eastern Conference contenders off balance, the 2025-26 East feels more up-for-grabs than at any point in years. Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks remain the favorites, but with roster shifts and cap constraints around every corner, this offseason delivered unpredictability and created opportunity.
Enter the Miami Heat. A year ago, a disjointed 37-45 campaign barely kept them alive in the Play-In and ended in a first-round sweep at the hands of Cleveland. But under Erik Spoelstra, the Heat have doubled down on identity.
Their core of Tyler Herro (23.9 PPG) and Bam Adebayo (18.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG), now bolstered by the newly acquired Norman Powell, fresh off a career-year averaging 21.8 PPG, already gives Miami a strong one-two-three punch.
Now, as the East flattens at the top and the pressure shifts from contenders to pretenders, Miami can quietly rebrand as the league’s most dangerous dark horse. With free-agent flexibility and trade assets intact, they’ve positioned themselves to pounce on the right deal, whether that’s a marquee star, mid-summer veteran scoring addition, or breakout young talent.
Because in this deeply reconfigured Eastern race, Heat just might sneak up on everyone. Let’s dive into Miami’s biggest targets in the offseason.
1. Lauri Markkanen
Proposed Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Nikola Jovic, 2031 first-round pick (MIA), 2027 second-round pick (OKC/NYK/SAS swap), 2031 second-round pick (WAS swap), 2032 second-round pick (MIA)
Lauri Markkanen isn’t just a unicorn on Utah’s roster; at 7’0″ with a legit stroke, he remains one of the NBA’s top spaced-out big men. In 2024-25, he averaged 19.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG while connecting on 42.3% of his shots and draining 34.6% from deep.
Miami’s frontcourt already exudes grit, but Markkanen would be the missing high-voltage spark: consistent spacing, rebounding chops, and polish that complements Bam’s midrange game. This proposed blockbuster would send Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, and Nikola Jovic to Utah, plus a flurry of picks, highlighted by a 2031 first-rounder and three second-round swaps from Miami, OKC/NYK/SAS, Washington, and Miami again.
That’s a costly price in both expiring salaries and potential upside: Wiggins had an efficient 18.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG campaign last season, while Rozier averaged 10.6 PPG in 2024-25. Yet Miami is betting big on capped-out stars staying healthy and wants a stable, high-level starter who can deliver nights of 20+ points with few turnovers.
The massive assortment of picks and the loss of two rotation players could sting if Markkanen falters or regresses; it’s a high-wire deal. But if executed cleanly, it gives Miami an offensive stretch big ready to shape a re-emergent East title run.
2. Jonathan Kuminga
Proposed Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State Warriors Receive: Jaime Jacquez Jr., Terry Rozier, 2031 first-round pick, 2027 second-round pick (OKC/NYK/SAS swap), 2031 second-round pick (WAS swap)
This isn’t your average draft-and-develop asset: Jonathan Kuminga broke out in 2024-25 with 15.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and showed flashes of All-Star-level energy before a significant ankle injury struck. He came alive in Game 3 of the Western Semifinals with a 30-point explosion (11-of-18 FG, 3-of-4 3PT) that put NBA GMs on notice.
His contract is limited and restricted, making him the type of young swing weapon Miami could build around next to Herro and Adebayo. Miami would send out Jaime Jaquez Jr., Rozier, and heavy draft capital, 2027 second-round onwards, for this hypothetical deal.
Jaime had a promising season and hit 8.6 PPG with a 46.1% FG clip. Rozier provides veteran spacing but could be a ripe trade chip. This deal is ideal for a franchise that understands investment: a supremely athletic 22-year-old with two-way growth potential in exchange for a sound rotation player, a stabilizer in Rozier, and pick depth.
Kuminga’s restricted status tempers the gamble. Golden State can match any offer sheet, but he is the type of future piece that could one day overshadow Miami’s existing trio.
3. DeMar DeRozan
Proposed Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: DeMar DeRozan
Sacramento Kings Receive: Terry Rozier, 2027 second-round pick (OKC/NYK/SAS swap), 2031 second-round pick (WAS swap)
In his first season with Sacramento, DeMar DeRozan still proved his scoring pedigree at 35, dropping 22.2 PPG on 47.7% FG and 32.8% from deep while adding 4.4 APG. He’s a polished veteran with elite mid-range feel and playoff toughness, offering a completely different skill set than Miami’s existing crew. Herro and Bam get uphill help; DeRozan brings a seasoned decoder of defenses.
Miami would give the Kings Terry Rozier and two later second-round picks. The minimal return is attractive for a team that is looking to upgrade scoring without mortgaging the future. Trading Rozier, a 10.6 PPG spark plug, is manageable given Herro and Powell’s consistency.
But this is an aging asset, and the Heat playoff ceilings mean every possession counts. DeRozan’s body of work commands respect, yet his pace-sensitive style may be mismatched long-term with Spoelstra’s more dynamic offense. If Miami views this as a short-term playoff run, though, DeRozan cost-effectively adds leader-level execution.
4. CJ McCollum
Proposed Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: CJ McCollum
Washington Wizards Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Though he still averaged 21.1 PPG (4.1 APG, 3.8 RPG) in 2024-25 for New Orleans, CJ McCollum missed the final stretch with a foot injury. That said, his 10-year streak of 20+ PPG seasons speaks volumes about his reliability.
He thrives off-ball, cuts sharply, and remains a masterful pull-up shooter, exactly what Miami lacks behind Herro, especially when defenses collapse into the paint. This trade idea sends Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. to Washington, a two-for-one deal infused with youth and positional fit.
Wiggins helps replace volume, and Jaquez is a legitimate young rotation piece. Meanwhile, Heat clear the decks for McCollum’s one-year, expiring contract.
There’s upside and downside. His experience and shooting can accelerate Miami’s bench scoring, but the injury risk looms. If McCollum can stay healthy and produce at post-20 PPG rates off the bench or at the 2-spot, he’d plug a massive gap in playoff scoring. But his foot history and age (now 33) mean Miami can’t treat him like Providence.
5. Jrue Holiday
![Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) reacts after making a three-point shot ]against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Barclays Center.](https://fadeawayworld.net/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjE1Nzc2NTYyMjUzOTMyMDUx/celtics-guard-jrue-holiday-reacts-after-making-a-three-point-shot-against-the-nets-during-the-second-half-at-barclays-center.jpg)
Proposed Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Jrue Holiday
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Terry Rozier, Keshad Johnson, 2031 first-round pick, 2032 second-round pick
Jrue Holiday remains elite defensively, a six-time All-Defensive, two NBA titles, and Olympic gold medals, but his offensive impact slipped to 11.1 PPG last season, marked by role reduction and nagging injuries. Still, at age 35, his IQ, leadership, and lockdown tenacity would immediately bolster Miami’s backcourt and overall locker room toughness.
The proposed haul: Terry Rozier, Keshad Johnson, and two future first-round picks (2031, 2032). Rozier departs again, Johnson is untested, but two first-rounders for Holiday’s waning role represent upside if Miami can squeeze value quickly. It’s a tough pivot: Miami is giving up draft capital and youth for now, season, plus of elite defense and trusted playmaking.
Yet even that scenario has been derailed elsewhere by medical concerns: reports surfaced in July that a health review dropped Portland into a one-for-one deal with Boston, scrapping earlier pick packages in Holiday’s trade negotiations.
Miami should tread carefully. Holiday’s contract is massive; if his defense holds up but the scoring doesn’t, this becomes a salary dump dressed as a competitive splash. A gamble, but in Miami’s proven culture, one they’ve made before.
6. Nikola Vucevic
Proposed Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Nikola Vucevic
Chicago Bulls Receive: Terry Rozier, 2031 first-round pick
Nikola Vucevic remains a polished vintage stretch center at age 34, and his 2024-25 season statistics make him one of the most efficient big men in the game: 18.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, with a 53.0% field goal clip and an expanding three-point arsenal at 40.2% conversion.
The big man is a proven double-double threat who spaces the floor, handles the ball in pick-and-roll sets, and rebounds as reliably today as in his All-Star years. Though not a defensive anchor, his offensive polish and hoops IQ remain NBA-elite.
On the trade board, Chicago has quietly made it known: Vucevic doesn’t fit the team’s youth-oriented timeline. Front offices across the league, including the Lakers, have monitored the two-time All-Star as a movable veteran with an expiring deal. The proposed Miami deal replaces roughly $26 M in Rozier’s salary (set for 2025-26) with Vucevic’s one-year, $21.4 M contract, plus gives the Bulls an extra 2031 first-round pick.
That pick cushion and Rozier’s opening night spot would give Chicago and Erik Spoelstra flexibility with no dead money in future calendars. Bringing Vucevic into Miami would address a glaring playoff need: another high-efficiency, pick-and-pop threat adjacent to Bam Adebayo, offsetting heavy perimeter attention on Herro and Powell.
