Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley reacts during an introductory press conference for Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (not pictured) at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Miami Heat officially signed veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson on Sunday, and they’ll be making at least one more roster addition this summer. With Thompson’s arrival, the Heat have now filled 13 roster spots, and NBA insider Marc Stein reports three players, including a former Los Angeles Lakers guard, are in contention for the last two.
“Now the Heat must decide whether they want to carry 14 or 15 players during the regular season,” Stein wrote. “Nick Richards continues to be regarded as a prime candidate to sign if Miami elects to add another big man, while Heat alumni Gabe Vincent and Keshad Johnson have also been under consideration.”
Former Laker Gabe Vincent spent his first four seasons with the Heat after going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2018. He averaged 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game during his time in Miami.
Vincent was notably a starter for the Heat when they made it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2023. They unfortunately lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games, and he then became a free agent that offseason.
Vincent’s play in that playoff run convinced the Lakers to hand him a three-year, $33 million deal. It proved to be a mistake. Vincent spent much of his first season on the sidelines with a knee injury and never quite replicated his performances with the Heat.
The Lakers eventually cut ties with Vincent ahead of this year’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, sending him and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luke Kennard. Kennard impressed in Los Angeles and earned a two-year, $13 million deal from the Phoenix Suns this summer.
Vincent didn’t make much of an impact after the trade, however. He finished the campaign with averages of 4.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Lakers and Hawks.
A return to the Heat could perhaps bring the best out of Vincent. The 30-year-old isn’t the likeliest of these three to head to South Beach, however.
It’s not a surprise that the Heat are looking at Nick Richards. The current backup to star center Bam Adebayo is Bobby Portis, who is better suited to playing power forward.
Richards averaged 5.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game for the Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls in 2025-26. The 28-year-old is a serviceable backup big and would be a decent addition.
Lastly, we get to Keshad Johnson, who went undrafted out of Arizona in 2024. The Heat then signed Johnson to a two-way deal and later converted it into a standard two-year deal. The 25-year-old averaged 4.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2025-26 and also won the Slam Dunk Contest.
It will be interesting to see what direction the Heat choose to go in. They will probably sign Richards, as he addresses a need. The Heat could then either keep that final roster spot open or bring in either Vincent or Johnson. They’re, of course, aiming to win the title next season.
The Heat made the biggest splash of this offseason by acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. While Antetokounmpo remains one of the very best players in the NBA, they aren’t being seen as real title contenders even with him. The Heat have managed to exceed expectations in the past, though, and would be backing themselves to do it again.