According to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, the Miami Heat could be a team to watch out for in the upcoming DeMar DeRozan sweepstakes. Though the Heat haven’t yet been in touch with DeRozan, per Jackson and Chiang, they are a potential destination. However, adding DeRozan would derail the Giannis Antetokounmpo era before it even begins.
DeRozan was recently waived by the Sacramento Kings, making him an unrestricted free agent. And right now, Miami is definitely looking to round out its roster around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. But DeRozan’s lack of three-point shooting and preferences as an on-ball player would make him a bad fit next to Miami’s stars.
Bringing DeRozan on board would be a sure-fire way to hurt the Antetokounmpo era in Miami before he even plays a single game.
DeMar DeRozan would be bad fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo
In theory, the Heat should be trying to find the best possible players to play alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. On paper, DeRozan is definitely one of those guys, especially with his experience in the NBA.
DeRozan has been one of the best scorers in the league for years, even if his prime days are well behind him. And on top of that, he’s also one of the most clutch players in the league, which is important.
But in today’s NBA, fit is far more important than overall talent. That’s a fact that even the best teams have had to learn the hard way. And at the end of the day, DeRozan just isn’t a great fit next to Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
He’s shown that he can be a good playmaker, and he’s definitely a talented perimeter player, but his lack of a consistent three-point shot would make it tough to be a high-minutes guy in Miami next year.
In reality, the Heat need guard talent. Guys who can shoot the ball at an extremely high level and help run the show for Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, as Andrew Wiggins is already going to be slotted in at the small forward position.
DeRozan is not a guard. And he most certainly is not a reliable three-point threat. If the Heat brought him on board in a starting role, their lineup would have some atrocious three-point spacing.
In 2026, that’s not very conducive to winning. The unfortunate reality is, if DeRozan wants to thrive in today’s NBA, he’ll probably have to accept a bench role. And even then, he’s still not a great fit in Miami.
If the Heat sign DeRozan, they will be hurting the Antetokounmpo era with a poorly-fitting player before Antetokounmpo ever suits up for a game.
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