The Miami Heat have chosen their direction, and for the moment, Andrew Wiggins is part of it. According to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, the Heat will plan to begin the 2025-26 season with Wiggins still on the roster.

According to Chiang’s report, this is because Miami still has interest in seeing “what this mix will look like.” Overall, this is a notable decision because of what this team has already shown it is willing to do when the math stops adding up. And if recent history tells us anything, it is that the Heat are not going to be the ones to sit back and wait should the season open on a sour note.

The context around this is important. The Heat are in a very different place than they were this time last year. Jimmy Butler is gone and Norman Powell has arrived, while Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are now the foundational building blocks. There is enough talent here to be dangerous, but also enough uncertainty to make the whole thing feel fragile. So bringing Wiggins into the equation and letting it play out may feel risky to some, but there is a sense of calculated curiosity at play.

What it really is, is a calculated trial run. If things are working out, great. But if they’re not, it’s not like Miami is going to have any issue with pivoting.

Andrew Wiggins will remain with the Heat to start 2025-26

Wiggins has become one of the more unpredictable veterans in the league. He has nights where he looks like the ideal complementary wing, hitting open threes, defending his assignment, and doing the little things that help teams win. But he also has plenty of nights where he floats through possessions and makes little to no impact. That inconsistency is what made him expendable in Golden State, and why the Warriors were willing to move him in the Butler deal in the first place.

Now in Miami, he gets a new chance, but the leash may be shorter than ever.
It’s not going to take much for trade chatter to heat up again, especially if the Heat stumble out of the gate.

This is a franchise that has always operated with urgency. Even after dealing Butler, the front office did not take long before adding a supremely skilled two-guard in Powell. But for Miami to remain competitive, every piece is going to have to pull its own weight.

If Wiggins does not show he can be relied on, or if he looks like a poor fit next to Miami’s current personnel, then the Heat will act accordingly as they always do. So for now, Wiggins is here. But as Miami has shown in the past, “for now” may not last long.