Miami Heat Shift Focus to Trades Amid 2026 Free Agency Challenges

The Miami Heat are strategically bolstering their roster through trades and free agency, focusing on building a championship-caliber team amid a changing NBA landscape. The recent addition of Norman Powell provides a significant scoring boost, with All-Star Tyler Herro expected to be the team's primary closer this season. Looking ahead to the 2026 offseason, the Heat could have cap space to pursue star free agents like Jonathan Kuminga, especially if they trade Andrew Wiggins, but the overall free agent pool is expected to be shallow due to multiple stars signing extensions. This has led the Heat to shift their focus more towards trades rather than relying solely on free agency to improve their roster, echoing a trend seen across the league. Although the Heat had been linked to players like Luka Doncic and De’Aaron Fox, both have re-signed with their teams, making players like Trae Young potential future targets if he opts to test free agency. Overall, Miami’s front office under Pat Riley is adapting to the evolving dynamics by prioritizing trades and seizing opportunities to acquire impact players outside of the increasingly limited free agent market.