The Miami Heat leaped the most dubious hurdle in basketball when they acquired a true superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Unfortunately, the trade for Antetokounmpo depleted Miami of its best perimeter resources, particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
Despite the concerns over how his recently inefficient shooting might pair with Antetokounmpo, LeBron James is the perfect player to address Miami's lack of perimeter scoring and playmaking.
Antetokounmpo is a dominant scorer who averaged at least 30.4 points per game in every season between 2022-23 and 2024-25. Even in 2025-26, he managed 27.6 points on 62.4 percent shooting from the field despite playing just 28.9 minutes per contest.
Bam Adebayo is no slouch himself, having averaged 20.1 points per game during the 2025-26 season and seemingly showcasing the ability to play a complementary style alongside Antetokounmpo.
Even if Adebayo and Antetokounmpo thrive, however, they're both interior-based players. What Miami thus needs is a wing or guard who can step in and take on a high-volume role as a playmaker and scorer who can make life simpler for the defensive anchors and interior scoring threats.
James may be a downhill player whose jump shot has fluctuated in its efficiency, but his skill as a shot creator and playmaker offsets those potential concerns.
Heat desperately need high-level scoring and playmaking from the wings
James shot just 31.7 percent from beyond the arc during an injury-plagued 2025-26 season. It was the second time in four years that he shot 32.1 percent or worse from three-point range. That's inevitably made him a questionable fit alongside an interior-based star duo.
There's reason to believe James can shoot more efficiently alongside elite bigs, however, as he buried 41.0 percent of his threes in 2023-24 and 37.6 percent in 2024-25 while predominantly playing next to Anthony Davis.
Even if his jumper falters in Miami, however, James remains one of the best scorers and playmakers in the NBA. This past season, he averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists per game on 51.5 percent shooting from the field despite playing as a third option for the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Heat, James could return to running the offense while creating looks for Antetokounmpo and working off of him for catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Miami is an ideal landing spot for LeBron James, too
As for the sense of urgency, Miami's most proven current perimeter players are Tim Hardaway Jr., Davion Mitchell, and Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins led that group in 2025-26 at 15.4 points per game, while Mitchell's 6.5 assists per contest were balanced by a fairly underwhelming 9.3 points.
With respect to that group, as well as up-and-comers such as Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson, there simply isn't a known commodity who can anchor the team's perimeter efforts.
That's where James comes in as not only a volume scorer, but a top-tier playmaker who can create more efficient looks for everyone around him. He'd also be surrounded by a cast of tremendous defenders, which bodes well for his ability to pace himself through games and the season at large.
James getting back to an efficient level as a shooter would certainly help, but even if he's unable to, he's still a dream addition who can address Miami's perimeter concerns.
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