The Miami Heat have built a reputation for maximizing the talent on their roster, often turning overlooked players into key contributors. However, with a roster full of developmental projects and complementary role players to their superstar duos, not every player on the team is crucial to their success this season.
While these players are certainly skilled and could be valuable in the right situations, their roles on this year’s team may be a bit unnecessary given Miami's current depth and needs.
Let’s take a look at three players who, while talented, aren’t critical to the Heat’s 2024-25 campaign.
Nassir Little
The 6-foot- forward who played for the Phoenix Suns last season signed a one-year deal with the Heat, making him the 15th player on the roster with a standard contract. This deal came out of nowhere, and while most fans were happy to see their front office appear to be active, this was a move that they didn't really need to make.
It's a move that provides more harm to their flexibility than anything. As of now, Little is on a standard contract, but his salary is non-guaranteed. This move doesn't immediately push the Heat over the second apron, but they are already dangerously close to the threshold. If his contract becomes guaranteed in early January, it will push them over unless they make a trade or other roster adjustments before then.
With the second apron looming in the background, waiting to impact the Heat’s financial flexibility, signing Little doesn't align with their long-term team-building strategy.
The Heat already have multiple two-way players who showed some promise during the Summer League, and if they perform well enough, they could compete for that 15th roster spot.
While Miami isn’t in any rush to make decisions, players like Josh Christopher and Keshad Johnson (despite his injury) demonstrated potential, and it would be worth seeing what they could bring to the team instead.
Not to say those two guys are better than Little, but they provide a different skill set, which brings us to the last reason why the Little move is a little puzzling. Little is an average-sized defensive-minded forward who can be a bit streaky from three. His finishing at the rim leaves a lot to be desired. He's practically wing insurance; if you lose a starter or bench player, he can come in and give you minutes. The Heat don't need wing insurance though.
This roster already has a surplus of average-sized wings, such as Jimmy Butler, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic. It'd be fine if he could pass at a high level, put the ball on the floor, or even just be a three-point specialist that'd be fine, but he doesn't fit for any of those. Couple this fact with the financial restrictions heading forward and it doesn't make much sense for Little to be here.
Alec Burks
Alec Burks is in a similar boat with Little as far as being deemed "unnecessary" for this roster. Everyone in the Heat fan base has sort of forgotten about Burks being on the roster, and it's to be expected as he's not a franchise savior or a "sexy signing," but yes, he is here.
He doesn't hurt the Heat too much financially and won't steal minutes from the main guards, but it would've been nice to see guards like Zyon Pullin and Christopher get reps. Burks is 33 years old and while you could say it'd be nice to have a veteran guard come in and give relief minutes, Burks only seems to be getting worse statistically.
Burks shot 30 percent from the floor and 30 percent from three, which is a major drop-off from what he produced the season before, being 39 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three. He's in that weird class of guards where he's bigger for a guard, but he doesn't use his size, and if he is being guarded by a forward, he's too undersized. This is the same story on defense as well. Burks is also a player who can't seem to stay healthy as he's only played two 70-game seasons in his 10-year career.
It may seem like Burks is getting a bad rap, but it’s simply the reality of the current roster situation. To his credit, there’s value in having a veteran like him who can step in and fill minutes when other players are sidelined—something that could easily happen if last season’s injury struggles repeat. The truth is, no NBA roster is perfect. Every team has one or two players who, while serviceable, wouldn’t be your first choice to fill a spot if alternatives were available.
Kevin Love
The last player who might not be needed on this roster is a bit of a hot take, but hear me out: it’s Kevin Love.
While Love has been a fan favorite over the past two seasons and undoubtedly brought some much-needed energy to the locker room, for which he'll always be highly valued, his fit on this current team is less clear. He gives his all on the court, which is always appreciated, but when you consider the direction the Heat are heading and the depth of his position, his role may not be as necessary as it once was.
However, Kevin Love is also 36 years old and is one Giannis Antetokounmpo blocking foul away from disintegrating. The Heat restructured his deal, and, instead of Love taking a pay cut for this season, proceeded to not only get more money but a longer deal as well. The Heat will have him until he's 37 years old after the 2025-26 season. It doesn't matter how you slice it, for a team that is battling the second apron, it makes no sense having an older player like that on the payroll.
He's still a solid player, but Father Time is undefeated. His three-point shooting is his strongest attribute, along with his rebounding, but his defense is, at times, unplayable. It's to be expected, but this is a team that needs to utilize versatility, especially on the defensive end. Not to mention that the addition of Kel'el Ware is huge because he brings size, shooting, rebounding, and rim protection. If everyone is healthy and in rhythm, it'd be hard to see Love getting minutes.
This is not to say Love is useless and that he should retire, but he could see himself out of the rotation this year with a regression in his shooting and the emergence of other players. If this does happen, it's important to remember, as stated earlier, that he's under contract both this season and the next.