The Miami Heat were surprisingly able to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference last season after making a run through the Play-In Tournament after finishing 10th in the East standings.
Unfortunately for Miami, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs as they struggled without Jimmy Butler in the second half of the season after they traded him to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline.
Now the Heat will look to return to form this season with their core of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Kel’el Ware leading the way and they also made some key additions to their roster this offseason.
Miami started their offseason by selecting Kasparas Jakucionas in the 2025 draft and they then acquired Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio in separate trades.
By making these moves, the Heat are looking to take advantage of the weakened East this season as they try to clinch a top seed in the conference.
Heat Could Target Kings’ DeMar DeRozan
Despite this, Miami is still trying to find another star player to replace Butler and while they were linked to multiple players this offseason, they did not add any of them to their roster.
One player the Heat were linked to was Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan and if the Kings look to move him this season, Miami could show interest in the veteran guard.
Mock Trade Swaps Andrew Wiggins for DeMar DeRozan
In a potential trade, the Heat could send Wiggins, Simone Fontecchio and draft capital to the Kings in exchange for DeRozan and Devin Carter.
While moving Wiggins would be a tough decision to make, DeRozan may be a better fit in Miami’s starting lineup as a replacement for him and they would also add a much-needed point guard in Carter who showed potential during his rookie campaign last season.
For DeRozan, he is a great scorer and veteran leader who could fit well alongside the rest of Miami’s core.
Last season, the 36-year-old forward averaged 22.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 32.8% from three.
While DeRozan could be a solid addition to Miami’s roster, he is not as good of a defender as Wiggins is and he also struggles to shoot outside the arc at times as he is more of a mid-range scorer.
For Carter, he would provide the Heat with a much-needed point guard who could see a large role with the team this season thanks to his defensive play.
Last season, the 23-year-old guard averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 37.0% from the field and 29.5% from three.
While Carter does excel on the defensive end, he still needs to develop on the offensive end, especially his shooting numbers after struggling last season.
By making this move, the Heat would add another star player to their roster in DeRozan along with a solid young guard in Carter who could both help them regain their form this season after struggling last year.
