Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra talks to the team during the first half of a game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 9, 2026, at Kaseya Center in Miami. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
The Miami Herald’s Heat mailbag is here to answer your questions. If you weren’t able to ask this time, send your questions for future mailbags via X (@Anthony_Chiang). You can also email them to achiang@miamiherald.com
Danny: Do you think the Heat will be adding someone soon on the buyout market? And do you expect the Heat to keep Terry Rozier on the roster for the rest of the season or that they waive him.
Anthony Chiang: I can’t tell the future, but I do know this: The Heat wants to make sure its younger players continue to get the opportunity to play meaningful minutes after the All-Star break. Shopping the buyout market to add a veteran who would expect immediate minutes would go against that plan.
Most seasons, the Heat would be among the most aggressive teams on the buyout market looking for a veteran who could help its playoff push. Just look at when Miami added Kevin Love through the buyout market in February 2023.
But this is a different kind of season for the Heat, which is on track to need to qualify for the playoffs through the NBA’s play-in tournament for the fourth straight year. It’s also a season that Miami has regularly played five players who are younger than 25 in Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic.
This is also one of the reasons the Heat was the only Eastern Conference team that didn’t make a trade ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline earlier this month. After missing out on a trade for star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat didn’t want to make a lateral move that would take away playing time from any of its young players.
But the Heat, currently with one open spot on its 15-man standard roster, does already have the ability to sign a free agent for the remainder of this season without crossing the luxury tax line.
The Heat could also open a second spot on its 15-man standard roster by releasing guard Terry Rozier, who has been away from the team for all but one game this regular season in the wake of his Oct. 23 arrest stemming from a federal investigation into illegal gambling. Rozier has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, pleading not guilty at his arraignment in December.
So, yes, the Heat has options. But the Heat wants to prioritize the development of its young players over lateral roster moves.
One move the Heat could make that would also work toward its youth movement would be promoting standout two-way contract forward Myron Gardner to a standard contract to fill a roster spot, which would in turn open a two-way contract slot for Miami to sign another young prospect.
Another option to fill a roster spot is for the Heat to sign an outside prospect on a conditional multiyear contract to add to its developmental pipeline.
@Horowitz_JeffA: Is it possible that Spo uses Herro off the bench, or maybe even consider making Powell the sixth man when Tyler comes back? The two of them in the same starting lineup together analytically, doesn’t seem like a good thing.
Anthony: Do we even know that it’s not a good thing yet? Tyler Herro and Norman Powell have been limited to just 143 minutes together through the Heat’s first 56 games this season because of Herro’s injury issues.
With Herro again eligible for an extension this upcoming offseason and Powell currently eligible for an extension before becoming an unrestricted free agent this upcoming summer, the Heat needs to figure out what it has in the backcourt duo of Herro and Powell. In other words, the Heat needs to play them together for extended minutes when Herro returns from injury to evaluate this pairing.
@jaysmuv82: How long will it take the Heat to realize there’s no such thing as superstar/star players hitting free agency and having real assets or draft capital is what land these whales. The only other option is through the lottery of the draft, which clearly is never an option for them.
Anthony: The Heat has a way of doing things, and it’s sticking to it for now. The Heat’s top decision-makers would argue that playing for draft lottery odds is relying on luck. So for now, it will try to build up its young prospects in hopes of making them attractive assets and also continue to wait for additional draft capital to become tradeable. The Heat would also point out that it has played in two NBA Finals over the last six years. That shouldn’t be overlooked.