August 20, 2026
Sam Navarro/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Giannis Antetokounmpo is officially a member of the Miami Heat.
After acquiring Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the same offseason, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey has set his new team up to be a full-blown championship contender.
The only problem: ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be as competitive as ever.
Over the next two weeks, PhillyVoice will be examining the 10 teams in the Eastern Conference which pose the greatest threats to James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers.
Up next: the Miami Heat, finally back in the conversation as a relevant contender after landing two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. With Antetokounmpo joining Bam Adebayo, Miami figures to have an elite defense. But between spacing concerns and flawed depth, it is unclear whether or not this team is quite ready to compete at the highest level.
Just how different will the Heat look next season?
SCOUTING THE SIXERS' COMPETITION
Washington Wizards | Orlando Magic | Atlanta Hawks | Miami Heat
After years of trying and failing to land a new superstar, the Heat outbid the Boston Celtics on Antetokounmpo – much to the benefit of the Sixers – to team him with their captain in Adebayo. The price was steep; Miami did not just give up Tyler Herro and major draft compensation, but also just about every young player on the roster with promise:
| Added | Retained | Lost |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Andrew Wiggins | Tyler Herro |
| Bobby Portis | Simone Fontecchio | Norman Powell |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | Kel'el Ware | |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | ||
| Kasparas Jakučionis |
Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis are all Milwaukee Bucks now, and Norman Powell is a Chicago Bull because the trade left Miami without enough room to retain last year's All-Star. The Heat did hang onto Andrew Wiggins, now the third-best player on a team with championship aspirations once again.
Miami had a bit of spending power in free agency after taking back the salaries of Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis; in need of shooting they signed veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. to likely slot into their starting five. Retaining Simone Fontecchio on a veteran's minimum deal may prove to be crucial; Miami's roster still only has 12 players as of this writing and they need as much cost-effective production as they can get.
SIXERS FILM STUDIES
Jaylen Brown's strengths | Jaylen Brown's weaknesses
Anfernee Simons | Dean Wade | Ariel Hukporti
With at least two more roster spots still to be filled out, this is where the Heat's roster stands:
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Davion Mitchell | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Andrew Wiggins | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bam Adebayo |
| Dru Smith | Pelle Larsson | Simone Fontecchio | Nikola Jović | Bobby Portis |
| Ryan Conwell | Myron Gardner |
This starting lineup, even with some worries about three-point shooting, should be excellent. Between the versatility and rim protection coming from the two bigs, Wiggins' ability to take on primary wing assignments and Davion Mitchell's elite work at the point of attack, this unit has the chance to be special defensively.
Clearly, though, depth is an issue for the Heat – in addition to Antetokounmpo being the only true perimeter creator of any kind, there are just not that many players on this roster definitively capable of contributing to a winning NBA team. Portis' versatility between the four and five will be helpful, but this team does not have a real backup center or a trusted backup point guard.
Perhaps the Heat can work some magic hunting for free-agency bargains before the season starts, but the likely scenario is that this team just does not have enough manpower to be entirely serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.
MORE: After 'crazy transition,' Jaylen Brown ready to win with Sixers
Miami's roster does not have any connections to the Sixers; the closest thing to a Sixers tie here is that Wiggins and Joel Embiid were teammates in college.
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
