Miami Heat's Roster Decisions: Giannis, Klay, and the Konchar Question
The Miami Heat didn’t just tweak around the edges this summer. They tore up the blueprint.
A year after stumbling to 10th in the Eastern Conference, Miami has pushed all its chips in, headlined by a blockbuster move for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the arrival of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. Around that star power, the front office has quietly kept working, reshaping the frontcourt and now turning to one last question: who gets the final roster spot?
Right now, John Konchar is firmly in that conversation.
Heat Circle Back to Konchar
Konchar isn’t a headline name in a summer of Giannis and Klay, but he’s not new to Miami’s radar.
NBA insider Brett Siegel reported that the Heat had “real trade interest” in Konchar when he was still with the Memphis Grizzlies. That interest may not have cooled, even as his situation shifted across the league’s transaction wire.
“Miami has an open roster spot and are $2.5M below their first apron hard cap. Wouldn’t be surprising if Miami still held interest in Konchar,” Siegel wrote, outlining the exact financial window the Heat are working within.
Konchar, 28, signed a three-year, $18.495 million deal with Memphis in 2024, an agreement that averages $6.165 million annually and was set to run through the 2026-27 season. On the floor last season, he posted 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. His three-point percentage dipped to 28.3%, but his career mark from deep sits at a more respectable 34.9%.
The numbers paint the picture: a low-usage, do-a-bit-of-everything wing whose value lies in connective tissue, not box-score explosions.
His potential availability stems from a recent multi-team shuffle. Shams Charania reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves are sending Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Cody Williams and Konchar. Minnesota’s plan was straightforward: waive and stretch Konchar’s guaranteed money to carve out the financial room needed for Jonathan Kuminga’s two-year, $12.4 million contract, a move that required clearing Green’s $14.7 million salary.
That kind of cap maneuvering could leave Konchar on the open market just as Miami surveys its final options.
If he hits waivers or becomes available at a manageable number, the fit is easy to see. Konchar rebounds his position, moves the ball, defends multiple spots and doesn’t need touches. On a roster suddenly loaded with star power and shot creation, that profile has real value. The concern, and it’s a real one, is the recent dip in shooting. In an offense that wants to stretch the floor around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, 28.3% from three is a red flag that can’t be ignored.
The Heat will have to decide whether they trust the career 34.9% more than last season’s slump.
A Frontcourt Built for Spoelstra’s Imagination
While the Konchar question hangs in the background, the frontcourt makeover is already in place.
Antetokounmpo instantly transforms Miami’s interior, pairing with Adebayo to form one of the most imposing two-way frontcourts in the league. Giannis brings relentless rim pressure and transition dominance; Adebayo adds playmaking from the elbows and elite defensive versatility. For Erik Spoelstra, that’s a playground.
Bobby Portis adds another wrinkle. The veteran big can bang inside, stretch out to the arc and bring the kind of edge that tends to fit snugly in Miami’s culture. He’s an experienced frontcourt piece who can toggle between lineups, playing next to either star or anchoring bench units.
The Heat didn’t stop there. They signed Nick Richards to a one-year, $3.1 million deal, giving Spoelstra a more traditional center option behind Adebayo. Richards, who split last season between the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls, averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. Over 305 career games, he has posted 7.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 17.6 minutes per night.
Those aren’t gaudy numbers, but they’re solid rotation-center production. He screens, finishes, rebounds, protects the rim in short bursts. On a team that no longer needs offensive fireworks from its backup five, that’s exactly the job description.
With Portis and Richards in tow, Miami can go big and bruising, traditional and structured, or lean into spacing and speed. Giannis and Adebayo give Spoelstra a devastating core; the new bigs give him the flexibility to shape game plans around matchups and playoff series.
Shooting, Spacing, and the Final Piece
The Heat didn’t just stack size. They reloaded their perimeter shooting as well.
Thompson, even past his prime, still commands respect. He knocked down 38.3% of his threes last season with the Dallas Mavericks, a mark that forces defenses to stay attached and opens driving lanes for Antetokounmpo. Around him, Miami can deploy Portis, Andrew Wiggins, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Davion Mitchell, all of whom posted strong three-point percentages last season.
That kind of spacing is a luxury Spoelstra hasn’t always had. Now, he can stagger lineups with multiple shooters on the floor at all times, making it harder for defenses to wall off Giannis or send constant doubles at Adebayo.
Which brings the conversation back to that final roster spot.
Miami doesn’t need another star. It doesn’t need another high-usage scorer. It needs someone who can slide into the gaps: defend, rebound, move the ball, hit open shots often enough to keep defenses honest.
Konchar fits most of that checklist. His versatility, his rebounding from the wing, his ability to function as a connective piece all align with what the Heat typically value. His recent shooting slump doesn’t. That tension will sit at the heart of Miami’s decision.
With an open spot and $2.5 million of room under the first apron, the Heat can afford to be deliberate. One more veteran, one more role player, one more specialist could be the difference between a good rotation and a great one when the playoffs arrive.
They’ve already made their seismic moves. Now comes the quieter question that so often defines contenders: which final piece actually fits the puzzle?
