With just a few weeks before the start of training camp, the Miami Heat is still very much stuck in Damian Lillard watch. The good news for the Heat is that whether or not the trade ends up happening, Miami figures to play a big role in the Eastern Conference this season.
As the waiting game continues, the offseason is generally a good time to take a path down memory lane. During the NBA summer, it’s always a good time to take a look back at a franchise’s history to give proper context to players who deserve it.
One of the most successful franchises in NBA history, there is a long list of underrated players that have funneled through the Heat system over the year. We look back and rank the 15 most underrated players that ever played for Miami.
15. Joel Anthony (2007-14)
You can’t begin to discuss the most underrated players in Miami Heat history without bringing up Joel Anthony. Looking back at his career, it’s actually quite amazing that he managed to play seven years with the Heat. At his peak, he only averaged three points and four rebounds per game but his presence was truly felt when the Heat’s Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh needed a consistent defensive anchor.
Anthony was never truly appreciated by the league as a whole but those inside the Heat organization and the fans know just how important he was to his team. Especially during the Big 3 era in Miami.
14. Anthony Carter (1999-03)
Anthony Carter went undrafted during the 1999 NBA Draft and had to play his way onto the Miami Heat’s roster. Carter spent four seasons with the Heat before he left during the 2003 NBA offseason. During those four seasons with the Heat, Carter started nearly a third of his games played with the team. During his time in Miami, Carter emerged as one of the more undervalued players in the league.
He never put up gaudy offensive numbers and was not a 3-point shooter (he averaged six points and four assists per game during his best season in Miami), but he filled the role that the Heat needed him to exactly to a T. Even after his time in Miami, Carter would go on to have a long stint in the NBA. Carter was a role player for much of his career and had one standout season during 2007-08 in Denver, but his four years in Miami are often overlooked. His time in Miami was a springboard toward the rest of his career (13 seasons in the NBA).
Carter is back with the Heat organization and is currently an assistant coach under Erik Spoelstra.
13. Dan Marjele (1996-01)
Even though Dan Marjele had the best stretch of his career with the Phoenix Suns (the team he was drafted by), it’s fair to say that his time with the Miami Heat is somewhat overlooked. He was a largely underrated player for the Heat during the five seasons he spent with the team. Especially during his first season in Miami, during the 1996-97 season, in which he was a big part (along with Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning) of Miami’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals. That was also the first Heat team to win a playoff series in their short history.
During that playoff run with the Heat, Marjele averaged eight points, four rebounds, and three assists on 34 percent shooting from 3-point range in nearly 30 minutes per game (mostly off the bench). From 1998-00, Marjele started every game he played in with the Heat. He’ll never get the true recognition he deserves for the time he spent in Miami, but he helped lay the foundation and winning culture for the success that the Heat enjoyed during the 2000s and 2010s.
Marjele returned to Phoenix during the 2001-02 season (via free agency) to conclude his career with the team that he began with.
12. P.J. Brown (1996-00)
During the 1996 NBA offseason, the Miami Heat signed P.J. Brown after he spent the first three seasons of his career with the New Jersey Nets. With the Heat, Brown quickly emerged as one of the best interior defenders and role players in the league. It didn’t take long for Brown to win the starting spot with the Heat. During his four seasons in Miami, Brown would go on to start every game he played in, but nine games, for the team.
In the 1998-99 season, Brown had arguably the best season of his career with the Heat. He averaged 11 points and seven rebounds on 48 percent shooting from the field. During his stint in Miami, he helped the team make the playoffs our straight seasons. During the 1996-97 season, Miami lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Brown was a key contributor to the Heat but often doesn’t get his full praise during those four seasons.
Brown would go on to have a long career in the NBA, even after his time with the Heat. Overall, Brown played 15 seasons in the NBA with six different teams. He finally won that elusive NBA championship during his final season in the league with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
11. Voshon Lenard (1996-00)
There aren’t many NBA non-star players from the 1990s that you can confidently say would make huge impacts in today’s game. However, Voshon Lenard is one of those players. And that’s why he should be considered one of the most underrated players to ever play for the Heat. Lenard signed with the Heat midway through the 1995-96 season. He played sparingly to end that season but made waves by flashing his 3-point sniper ability.
During his second season in Miami, Lenard started 47 games and appeared in 73 of them. He averaged 12 points on 41 percent shooting from 3-point range on six attempts per game. In an era that didn’t depend on offensive efficiency, it’s easy to see why Lenard would be considered ahead of his time. The following season, Lenard would pick up where he left off, averaging 13 points on 41 percent shooting from 3-point range again.
Due to an injury, Lenard was only able to play in 12 games during the lockout season of 1998-99. In his final season with the Heat, during the 1999-00 season, Lenard would bounce back by averaging 12 points on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range off the bench. He still battled injuries that season and only appeared in 53 games.
Miami would go on to trade Lenard during the offseason as part of a package for Chris Gatling.
10. Kelly Olynyk (2017-21)
Signing a four-year contract with the Miami Heat during the summer of 2017, the hope was that Kelly Olynyk could fill a much-needed void as a stretch-big. Looking back, it’s easy to see how much Olynyk was taken for granted, or overlooked, during his four seasons with the Heat. There were times when he fell in and out of the good graces of the coaching staff, times when he would start, and then other times when he would come off the bench. Most of that was due to his inconsistencies on the defensive end, but Olynyk was every bit the player Miami thought they were getting when he was signed.
During his first season with the Heat, Olynyk averaged 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 38 percent shooting from the field. That was statistically his best and most consistent season with the Heat but didn’t deviate from those numbers all that much throughout his tenure with the team.
Olynyk’s time with the Heat is often glossed over, in large part due to the fact it was somewhat of a dark time for the franchise. However, he was a quality player and during a time when the Heat made more than a few head-scratching signings, Olynyk wasn’t one of them.
9. Chris Andersen (2012-16)
Chris Andersen had quite an adventurous 15-year career in the NBA. The “Birdman” spent the majority of his career with the Denver Nuggets but you can make the argument that his most impactful seasons were spent as a member of the Miami Heat. Spending the last two seasons with the Heat during their Big 3 era, Birdman played an important role on the team in winning their second championship. Whether he deserves credit for it or not, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Heat went on a 27-game winning streak shortly after he was signed in 2013.
He ignited the Heat when they needed it most and inserted a level of energy on a night-to-night basis that was desperately needed at the time. During his best season with the Heat, Birdman averaged seven points and five rebounds on 64 percent shooting from the field. He managed to win one championship with the Heat and would help the team get to a fourth-straight NBA Finals appearance in 2014.
After the better part of four seasons with the team, Miami traded Birdman to the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2016 season. He isn’t one of the first names that comes to mind when discussing the Big 3 Heat, but he was one of the most underrated role players of that era.
8. James Posey (2005-07)
One year into the Shaquille O’Neal experiment, the Miami Heat’s front office believed their supporting cast needed to be completely revamped. During the 2005 offseason, that’s exactly what transpired. As part of the largest trade in NBA history (which included 13 players and five teams), James Posey was one of the players who was sent to the Miami Heat. Posey would end up playing an instrumental role for Miami each of the next two seasons.
It was his contributions to the 2006 championship team that made him one of the most underrated players to ever put on a Heat jersey. During the 2005-06 season, Posey started 63 of 67 games played during the regular season, averaging seven points and five rebounds on 40 percent shooting from 3-point range – all while being the team’s primary wing defender. During the playoffs, he would push his 3-point shooting percentage to 42 percent.
In the end, Posey only played two seasons with the Heat but it felt like much more. Dwyane Wade was deservedly the story of the Heat’s 2006 NBA Finals run, but their supporting cast doesn’t often get the praise they deserve. Posey is one of those players.
During the 2007 offseason, Posey signed with the Boston Celtics where he would go on to win his second championship in three years.
7. Mike Miller (2010-13)
Days after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh announced that they would be teaming up with the Miami Heat, Mike Miller was also signed by the team to a five-year deal. After 11 seasons in the league, in which he played a more prominent role for a few teams, Miller was ready and willing to take more of a backseat, supporting role for the Heat’s Big 3. While he may not have filled up the stat sheet too often, Miller was one of the more important supporting players on the team.
During his second season, specifically, with the Heat, Miller would go on to average six points per game on 45 percent shooting from 3-point range. The one moment that will live forever in the minds of Heat fans is when he scored 23 points (going 7-8 from 3-point range) in the championship-clinching Game 5 in the 2012 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Miller would go on to win two championships with Miami.
Despite the team success he enjoyed as a member of the Heat, his ending with the team was quite sad. After winning their second-straight NBA Championship, the Heat decided to waive Miller via the Amnesty Clause. It was a decision that wasn’t popular with LeBron James, who would end up leaving the Heat himself the following offseason.
6. Shane Battier (2011-14)
After losing the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat entered the offseason in hopes of adding another strong supporting player that could help get the team over the championship hump. One of the bigger offseason additions for the Heat was Shane Battier. As the ultimate professional and one of the most versatile players in the game, Battier was exactly what the Heat needed to allow head coach Erik Spoelstra to fully embrace his journey toward the first incarnation of positionless basketball.
Ahead of his time, Battier was a player who could play on the wing or even the small-ball power forward position. Spo utilized that during the three seasons Battier spent in a Heat uniform. During his best season with the Heat, Battier averaged seven points on 43 percent shooting from 3-point range. During the team’s first championship run, Battier started 16 of the 23 postseason games played. He averaged 12 points per game on a blistering 58 percent shooting from 3-point range in the NBA Finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Battier played a very important and underrated role in the Heat turning their disappointing NBA Finals loss to the Mavs into two-straight championships the following two seasons.
5. Jason Williams (2005-08)
Another part of the biggest trade in NBA history, which we mentioned earlier, consisted of Jason Williams also being sent to the Miami Heat. After making waves in the league during his stints with the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, Williams was viewed as somewhat of a team “cancer” when he was acquired by the Heat. Miami bet on his talent and the culture that was already set with Pat Riley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Dwayne Wade to help make it work. And it’s a move that ended up paying off for the Heat in the end.
During Williams’ first season in Miami, the Heat would go on to win the 2006 NBA Championship. And Williams played a key part in their run. You can argue that Williams’ brightest moment as a member of the Heat came in Game 6 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. Williams scored 21 points and six assists on a near-perfect 10-12 shooting from the field.
Williams was far from a perfect player during his tenure with the Heat but you can argue that he was the right point guard at the right time. Williams helped the Heat win a championship and proved that he wasn’t the team “cancer” that many accused him of being.
4. Mario Chalmers (2008-16)
Looking back at the semi-recent history of the Miami Heat, you can make the argument that there was not a more polarizing player than Mario Chalmers. His highs were entertaining to watch for a role player but his lows were something that often drove Heat fans mad. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves after a successful college career at Kansas, Chalmers was traded to the Heat.
Defying the odds for a second-round pick, Chalmers ended up starting all 82 games for the Heat during his rookie season. During that year, he averaged 10 points and five assists on 37 percent shooting from 3-point range.
But it was his time during the Big 3 era that makes Chalmers, at least in my opinion, as one of the most underrated players in Heat history. Chalmers never shied away from the big moment and was a consistent starter for the team for the better part of those four seasons. For as much as he was frustrating as a player at times, Chalmers was an unsung hero many times throughout his Heat tenure.
Shortly after the start of the 2015-16 season, Chalmers was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as the team began pivoting away toward a new build.
3. Steve Smith (1991-1994)
Thinking back to some of the early days of the Miami Heat franchise, if there was one player that was undervalued or underrated, it was Steve Smith. Maybe he’s not a player who jumps off the top of Heat fans’ heads because Miami wasn’t experiencing much success during his time with the team, but he’s certainly a player who doesn’t get the true recognition that he probably deserves.
For Smith, who had a great and consistent five-year stretch during his time with the Atlanta Hawks, it all started in Miami after he was selected No. 5 overall in the 1991 NBA Draft.
In each of his three seasons with the Heat, it was clear that Smith was going to be a good player. He improved each of those three seasons, culminating during the 1993-94 season in which he averaged 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game on 46 percent shooting from the field. Somewhat surprisingly, just two games into the 1994-95 season, Miami decided to trade Smith to the Hawks in exchange for Kevin Willis. It’s largely considered one of the worst trades in team history.
Smith has to be considered one of the bigger “what if” stories for the Heat. His early contributions to this franchise have been greatly underrated and it’s a shame he didn’t get to play his true prime years in Miami.
2. Glen Rice (1989-95)
During the Miami Heat’s second NBA Draft in team history, they selected Glen Rice out of Michigan with the No. 4 overall pick. With a desperate need on the offensive end of the floor, Rice was believed to be a potential long-term answer for the team. After showing some signs of being a natural scorer of the basketball during his rookie season, Rice truly began to put it all together during his sophomore campaign.
In his third season, Rice led the Heat by averaging a team-high 22 points and five rebounds per game on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range. Over the course of his next three seasons with the Heat, Rice would continue to be a scoring machine while also emerging as one of the better 3-point shooters in the league.
Just before the start of the 1995-96 season, Pat Riley traded Rice to the Charlotte Hornets as the centerpiece of a package for Alonzo Mourning. Because of how good Mourning was for the Heat and how important of a role he still plays in the front office, it’s often forgotten just how electric and talented Rice was as a player for Miami.
1. Udonis Haslem (2003-23)
It may not be popular to call Udonis Haslem the most underrated player to ever play for the Miami Heat but I believe there are very fair reasons why he should be. For one, he doesn’t nearly get the amount of recognition that he deserves because he played alongside the greatest player in Heat history, Dwyane Wade, for nearly all his career. But you can make the argument that he played an extremely valuable role (either on or off the court) in every championship the Heat has ever won.
During the 2006 NBA Finals, Haslem was arguably the third-best player for the Heat, and that’s often forgotten or glossed over. In the Finals-clinching Game 6 against the Mavs on the road, Haslem finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds while playing excellent defense on Dirk Nowitzki.
Beyond that, Haslem continued to play a valuable role after the 2006 title run and during the Heat’s Big 3 era. Haslem was also the perfect example of taking a team-first approach off the court by taking less money to remain with the Heat in pursuit of bigger goals.
Haslem went from being an undrafted player to a Heat legend. He will undoubtedly have his jersey retired one day by the team and likely is going to be involved in the organization in a front-office role for as long as he wants. Haslem played 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Heat.