A way-too-early look at Heat's potential rotation for 2026-27 - Hot Hot Hoops - NBA

Miami Heat (Mandatory Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The main course of the offseason has still passed, headlined by the Miami Heat acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo in a late June blockbuster. It’s not quite complete, with them needing to fill at least two roster spots over the next two months. Still, it was quite a successful offseason for Miami, who enter the season with increased expectations after four-straight play-in berths.

That said, as currently constructed, what does the Heat’s rotation look like?

Starters (Locks):

Bam Adebayo:

Skinny: Coming off the first 20-point, 10-rebound season of his career, Adebayo is one of the best defenders on planet Earth, and will be better suited in a scaled-down role now that Antetokounmpo is in town.

Giannis Antetokounmpo:

Skinny: Is there really anything else to say other than the Heat now have a two-time MVP and 10-time All-Star? As critical as I have been (and still am) about the Heat’s roster management, they have a guy.

Andrew Wiggins:

Skinny: I still have plenty of questions about Wiggins’ fit offensively, even though he’s a good 3-point shooter. But he’s not coming off the bench. And he’s a dynamic multi-positional defender who will take a lot of pressure off Adebayo and Antetokounmpo.

Davion Mitchell:

Skinny: I don’t envision a scenario where Mitchell doesn’t begin the season as the team’s starter. He’s one of their best passers, ballhandlers and point-of-attack defenders. He averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 assists last season and should be prime for another big season.

Compete For Final Spot:

Skinny: Larsson took a sizable leap with extra opportunity in his sophomore NBA season, and oozes the malleability and competitive fortitude the Heat salivate over. I’m very high on his prospects heading into 2026-27.

Tim Hardaway Jr.:

Skinny: Regardless if he comes off the bench or not, Hardaway’s volume shooting and sheer gravity will be needed. He’s extremely streaky, but the threat of him shooting opens up the floor for everyone else, especially if he’s coming off pin-downs, flares and DHOs.

Bench (Locks):

Bobby Portis:

Skinny: While last year’s shooting was an aberration, Portis’ size, rebounding and touch from distance are quite critical to the Heat’s bench unit. Miami is still lacking another big, but acquiring Portis in the Giannis trade was a good move, defensive concerns notwithstanding.

Simone Fontecchio:

Skinny: Miami re-signed Fontecchio to a one-year minimum earlier this summer. He’s shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range over the last three seasons and is one of the Heat’s best volume shooters. Plus, he’s an underrated offensive rebounder and a passable on-ball defender in space.

Should be a lock, but may not be right away:

Ryan Conwell:

Skinny: The Heat traded up four spots to draft Conwell with the No. 37 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. His path to playing time will start with his defense, which was quite good in Summer League. But he’ll be allowed to stick in the rotation if he’s knocking down shots. Conwell shot north of 38 percent from beyond the arc, where he attempted nearly 64 percent of his shots, over his final three collegiate seasons.

Compete for back-end of the rotation:

Dru Smith:

Skinny: We know how much Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra loves Dru Smith. I do, too. I expect him to begin the season in the rotation. He’s one of the NBA’s most disruptive point-of-attack defenders, but he shot just 29.5 percent from distance in his first fully healthy season. Spoelstra is going to experiment with several combinations, but, ideally, he fits best with at least one more ballhandler.

Myron Gardner:

Skinny: Entering the new season, I’m higher on Gardner’s potential impact in the rotation. The 25-year-old was an above-average defender and canned 40.6 percent of his 3-pointers. He attempted 5.4 per 75 possessions, and was a good 3-point shooter in the G-League, so I’m not expecting a huge drop-off in efficiency in a slightly bigger role.

Nikola Jovic:

Skinny: Coming off the best year of his career, Jovic had a disastrous 2025-26 season after signing a four-year, $62.4 million extension. He’s still young, but this is a make-or-break season with the Heat for the fifth-year pro. I’m expecting a progression back to the mean, though time will tell.

A way-too-early look at Heat’s potential rotation for 2026-27 – Hot Hot Hoops

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