The Miami Heat have a couple of impending free agents set to hit the market this summer after the end of the NBA playoffs, and each player carries his own specific skill set and value as a player that the Heat should want to have back next season, despite this past season ending in the fashion it did.Â
The Heat are expected to initiate significant roster changes regardless of their impending free agent situations because of how this past season went, never mind how it ended. With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant all speculated to draw trade interest from the Heat, some familiar Heat faces will be gone if they manage to land one of those players.
As for Miami's free agents, Norman Powell is one whom the Heat should want to re-sign. The second is Andrew Wiggins. The former Golden State Warriors champion will be a top free agent target this summer should he decide to test the market. The Heat should do all they can to keep him, though.Â
The Miami Heat have a dog in the race when it comes to persuading Andrew Wiggins to return next season
Wiggins' free agent situation is as follows: He can opt in for his $30.2 million player option for the 2026-27 season or opt out and become an unrestricted free agent. If he opts in, it would potentially make him a valuable trade piece for a contending team, unless the Heat plan on keeping him.
Should Wiggins opt in, it would open the door for more money from the Heat as long as both parties want to prolong their partnership. Then again, the Heat could trade him in this scenario as well. Wiggins brings two key ingredients to any team he plays for: perimeter defense and championship experience.
His high-quality ability as a two-way player is hard to ignore if the Heat dangles him in a trade package. While he isn't the player he was during the Warriors' 2022 championship run, Wiggins is still more than effective on defense and can score 20-plus points easily most nights.Â
Wiggins could also opt out and still keep the door open to return to the Heat. It's hard to imagine he would get significantly more money elsewhere, so why not stay in Miami? In any case, Wiggins would be potentially entering free agency for the first time in his career. Every team change he's experienced has happened through a trade.Â
He may want to go through the process of checking out what different teams might throw at him regarding a contract. Either he explores free agency this summer, or he opts into his final year with the Heat and waits on that exploration next summer instead.Â
Whether it's another year or possibly more, the Heat have a solid player in Wiggins, and he fits their culture and roster. His defense is the greatest commodity, and the Heat are better when he plays his best perimeter defense. Wanting Wiggins back should be a priority. That said, he may be expendable if a superstar becomes a very realistic possibility.Â
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