Losing Haywood Highsmith to a right knee injury that required surgery and will sideline him for at least 8 to 10 weeks is a potentially massive blow to the Miami Heat’s 2025-26 plans. But they can mitigate some of the damage by going after a hidden gem still available in free agency: Amir Coffey.
No, this is not an overreaction to Highsmith’s absence. A 10-week timeline puts him back into the fold around October 17. That’s just a few days before opening night. Even if he’s available to play off-rip, he will not have gone through any of Miami’s training camp or preseason schedule. It could take him a while to find his bearings.
The Heat do have other players on which to lean. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Keshad Johnson, and even Davion Mitchell all see their defensive importance skyrocket if Highsmith misses gametime or isn’t himself. None of them, though, offer the same positional and star-stopping versatility.
Highsmith can capably guard four positions, including higher-end names. Wiggins shouldn’t be scaling down to defend most smalls. Mitchell shouldn’t be tasked with guarding up. Johnson is more of a help defender. Jaquez can move across four positions, but doesn’t have the same tools to rumble with stars.
On top of all that, nobody in Miami's arsenal of alternatives provides the same reliable and efficient three-point volume—with the exception of Wiggins. Coffey is someone who can help fill all of these holes.
Amir Coffey would fit right in with the Heat
Coffey replicates a lot of the versatility Highsmith delivers for Miami. He spent at least 17 percent of his defensive possessions last season guarding 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s, while placing in the 86th percentile of ball-screen navigation, according to BBall Index. Just three other players did the same in as many minutes: Keegan Murray, Derrick Jones Jr., and Taurean Prince.
Granted, Coffey doesn’t ferry the same marquee assignments as Highsmith. Especially last season. This probably has something to do with his negative wingspan. Still, he has shouldered heftier workloads in the past, and will seldom find himself overtaxed when he’s coming off the bench.
While Coffey has never played enough to be higher volume on the offensive end, that’s part of his charm. He has flashed the ability to score off drives and pull-ups, but more than 63 percent of his shots over the past four years have come as spot-up jumpers. Given that he knocked down these attempts at a 42.1 percent clip last season, this renders him an excellent fit alongside Miami’s ball-handlers.
This would be a good use of Miami’s final roster spot
With 14 players under guaranteed contract, the Heat have room for one more veteran. And since Coffey remains unsigned so late into the summer, he shouldn’t cost more than the minimum to scoop up.
Whether other teams can offer him more money and/or minutes remains to be seen. Miami may also get pocket shy since it’s nearly $2 million into the tax as of now. But the Heat have the flexibility to squeeze him into their rotation, and shedding that kind of money before the 2025-26 league calendar resets next offseason is easy-peasy.
Highsmith’s injury exposes Miami’s need for another gap-filling wing. Coffey is one hiding in plain sight. If he can be had for the minimum, this shouldn’t be a tough decision.