Klay Thompson’s outside shooting may give him the edge in the battle for the Heat’s final starting spot, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes in a subscriber-only story. Thompson, who signed with Miami after agreeing to a buyout with Dallas this summer, is by far the most accomplished long-distance shooter on the roster, ranking fourth in NBA history with 2,899 career three-pointers.
Having someone on the floor who can stretch opposing defenses will be critical alongside projected starters Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell. The Heat targeted Thompson for that role throughout most of the offseason and were willing to wait until he was able to negotiate his release from the Mavericks.
Chiang views free agent addition Tim Hardaway Jr. and holdover Pelle Larsson as Thompson’s main competition for the starting shooting guard spot. However, Hardaway proved he was comfortable coming off the bench last season with Denver, while Larsson has been both a starter and reserve during his two NBA seasons.
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In the same piece, Chiang assesses Nick Richards’ chances of earning a roster spot. The 28-year-old big man signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract in August, and sources tell Chiang that his $3.1MM salary will become fully guaranteed if he’s still with the team on opening night. Chiang points out that Adebayo and Bobby Portis are the Heat’s only other experienced centers and states that Richards’ skill set could be useful off the bench.
Vin Baker, who joined Miami’s coaching staff this summer after eight years in Milwaukee, is happy that he’ll get to continue working with Antetokounmpo, Chiang adds in a separate story. Baker has developed a close relationship with Antetokounmpo over the years and helped to officiate at his wedding in 2024. “We share a lot of things in common on the court,” Baker said. “He’s obviously at a different level than I was as a player. But being an All-Star and being an Olympian and an All-NBA player, I do see some of the things that he sees on the court. And I try to help him see those things as well, especially post-ups and double-teams and things like that. But, again, our relationship goes beyond basketball. I’m just very fortunate to be here, part of this journey with him. And hopefully win another championship at some point.”
The Heat will hold their training camp at Florida Atlantic University, with sessions set from September 29 to October 2, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).
Jahmir Young’s G League rights have been traded to the Lakers’ affiliate, Winderman adds (Twitter link). The 25-year-old point guard earned second-team All-G League honors with Sioux Falls last season.