After a long offseason with plenty of twists and turns, the Miami Heat are going to return to the basketball court on Saturday night when they take on Orlando in San Juan to open up preseason play.
Given it's preseason, we should see a vast array of players getting minutes. And while the 15-man roster seems to be locked down, that doesn't mean rotational minutes are set in stone.
So, with that in mind, these are five players who need a solid first showing to open up preseason play if they hope to get more minutes down the road.
Kasparas Jakucionis
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and Kasparas Jakucionis didn't have the greatest of Summer League debuts back in July. At the core of his issue was that he turned the ball over way too often and just didn't quite have the burst some were hoping for.
With an entire offseason to train and a chance to play with a normal group of players, the hope is that Jakucionis comes out and looks like the "draft steal" Heat fans thought they got back in June.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The third-year man is in need of a big preseason if he wants extended minutes in 2025-26. Given the summer that Pelle Larsson had, there is going to be a company pushing JJJ for minutes.
His biggest downfall in 2024-25 was his overall shooting. If that looks better this preseason, it could be a solid sign he is ready for increased minutes this year.
Terry Rozier
Let's be honest that Terry Rozier could probably drop 50 points a night during the preseason, and fans are still going to have their doubts on whether Rozier is anything but a bust.
In case one needs a reminder, Rozier was a part of three of the six worst +/- duos on the Heat last season, who played at least 400 minutes together last year.
Rozier somehow made it through the offseason and is still on the roster, but a poor preseason might just relegate him to the bench forever.
Keshad Johnson
After being undrafted in 2024, Keshad Johnson worked his way up with Sioux Falls and made 16 regular-season appearances with the Heat and even appeared in two of Miami's playoff games.
Hard to say what Johnson's actual pathway to minutes in 2025-26 is, and preseason might be his one shot to make a splash with the coaching staff.
Vladislav Goldin
Speaking of Sioux Falls, 2025 UDFA Vladislav Goldin is probably a candidate to wind up there at the end of camp.
But Goldin looked decent enough in the summer, and he does fill a need as a potential rotational swap for Kel'el Ware that wouldn't force Miami to get super creative with its rotations.
He will be a player to keep an eye on as a potential late-season call-up.