With the start of NBA Free Agency right around the corner, the Miami Heat could look to former fan favorite Gabe Vincent as a player who could help solve some of their depth issues during the first year of the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo build.
According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Vincent is one of the names that have been linked to the Heat heading into the start of free agency.
Vincent is an unrestricted free agent after his three-year contract (originally signed with the Los Angeles Lakers) officially expired. He was traded at the deadline to the Atlanta Hawks, where he played the last 24 games of this past season.
Gabe Vincent blossomed with the Heat, and could be ready for a return
Before signing with the Lakers in 2023, Vincent played the first four seasons of his career in Miami where he blossomed from an undrafted free agent into part-time starter for the Heat.
During the 2022-23 NBA season, Vincent played a vital role for the Heat in their surprise run to the NBA Finals. Over the span of that playoff run with the Heat, Vincent averaged 13 points and four assists on 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. He also started all 22 games during that playoff run for Miami.
Because of his development with the Heat, Vincent was rewarded with a three-year, $33 million deal with the Lakers during the summer of 2023.
However, a reunion could very much make sense for both sides. Since leaving Miami, Vincent was never the same player and didn't appear to ever find a true comfort zone in Los Angeles. Part of that was due to injury, but there's a real argument to be made that his playstyle fit more with the Heat's system than it did in Los Angeles.
For a Miami team that is looking to fill in the gaps in and around Giannis and Bam, there's reason why they would have a level of interest in bringing back Vincent. There's a familiarity on both sides that should bring a level of comfort in a potential reunion. Plus, the Heat could use another guard.
Should the Heat be so willing to bring back Gabe Vincent?
However, there are also some big questions.
For one, there's no guarantee that Vincent is at a place where he can contribute in a meaningful way. Over the past three seasons, he's only played in 60 games in a regular season once. If it wasn't because of injuries, it was simply that Vincent fell out of the rotation in Los Angeles.
No matter which one it was more than the other; that's not ideal. Especially for a Heat team that needs to prioritize durability as they look to build out this roster.
There are also questions about whether Vincent is considered a necessity or a priority with Davion Mitchell. They do very similar things on the floor, with Mitchell probably being the better overall player.
Nevertheless, there's still a chance that Vincent could make sense as the Heat scrambles to secure more depth. And, especially with the way his last three seasons went, split between Los Angeles and Atlanta, there's a real chance Vincent could be open to the idea too.
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