The Miami Heat are off to a solid start despite Tyler Herro being sidelined, and they'll look to improve to 3-1 when they face the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Heat may have lost Duncan Robinson this offseason, but they added Norman Powell, Simone Fontecchio and Kasparas Jakucionis. While the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers still appear to be the top contenders in a relatively open Eastern Conference, the Heat could make a move toward title contention this season.
After three consecutive trips to the Play-In Tournament, Miami will aim to secure a direct playoff berth. A core featuring Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Powell provides them a foundation to do so, but another addition could significantly strengthen their chances.
MORE:Tyler Herro eyes $380 million contract extension after no deal this offseason
Heat linked to Zion Williamson
The Heat have several young assets that could be included in a trade, including Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez and Jakucionis. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey recently named New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson as the Heat's “dream target,” suggesting he could take a significant leap in South Beach.
“There's more risk involved here, given Zion Williamson's injury history, but there's obviously much more potential reward too,” he wrote. “Zion, with Erik Spoelstra's coaching and the Heat's institutional stability, could become the megastar he looked poised to be early in his career.”
A former Duke standout, Williamson became just the third freshman in men's college basketball history to win the Naismith College Player of the Year award. He was widely regarded as one of the best prospects in recent memory, though injuries have limited his career.
Williamson has played at least 65 regular-season games just once, but when healthy, he has been impressive. In 30 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign, he averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 56.7 percent from the field.
A fresh start in Miami could be exactly what he needs to revitalize his career, and it would also give the Heat a potential boost toward contending in the Eastern Conference.
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