How Heat stacks up with rest of East after offseason. A look at every team’s rotation
Barring a potential August or September surprise (including a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade), most NBA teams have their rosters largely settled.
So where does the Heat stand in the East after re-signing Davion Mitchell, drafting Kasparas Jakucionis and essentially replacing Duncan Robinson and Alec Burks with Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio on a team that went 37-45 and was annihilated in the first round of the playoffs by top-seeded Cleveland?
Here’s a look at the projected rotations of NBA Eastern teams and how the Heat’s personnel stacks up with each of them:
HEAT
▪ Potential starters: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware or Nikola Jovic.
▪ Top reserves: Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic or Ware (whoever doesn’t start) and some combination of Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson and Terry Rozier.
▪ Comment: Though it’s possible Mitchell could start, the Heat valued his energy and activity off the bench, and playing Powell with Herro should make the Heat’s offense more diversified and dynamic. Ware’s strong close to summer league helps his case to remain a starter, but Jovic likely will get plenty of camp/preseason reps alongside Adebayo as well.
Anywhere from fifth to 10th in the East seems realistic, and there’s seemingly no team besides Cleveland and New York that is clearly better than Miami (unless Philadelphia’s roster is fully healthy).
CLEVELAND
▪ Potential starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen.
▪ Top reserves: DeAndre Hunter, Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, Dean Wade, Larry Nance Jr.
▪ Heat comparison: Losing Ty Jerome to Memphis will hurt, but the Cavs still look like one of the top two teams in the East, albeit one that has yet to prove capable of a long playoff run. And while the Powell acquisition might have very slightly closed the ocean-size gap between the Heat and Cavs, the Heat will need an enormous jump from Ware and better playoff work from Herro and Wiggins to be competitive with a Cavs team that drubbed them by a total of 122 points in the four-game sweep.
NEW YORK
▪ Potential starters: Karl Anthony-Towns, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges.
▪ Top reserves: Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele.
▪ Heat comparison: Though the coaching move from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown seems a lateral move at best, the Knicks found good value in the underrated Yabusele (two years, $12 million) and Clarkson at the minimum. The Knicks roster remains clearly better than Miami’s, though not quite as lopsided as a year ago.
ORLANDO
▪ Potential starters: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane.
▪ Top reserves: Anthony Black, Goga Bitadze, Tristan De Silva, Jonathan Isaac, Mo Wagner, Jase Richardson.
▪ Heat comparison: The addition of Bane (though at a steep cost of four first-round picks) and the return to health from Suggs (16.2 ppg in 35 games) slightly widens the previous margin between the Heat and Magic. Remember, Banchero played in only 46 games last year and Wagner 60, so the margin between the teams wasn’t as close as their four-game gap in the standings would suggest.
If the two emerging stars (and 24 ppg scorers) play more games, it’s almost impossible to envision the Magic finishing behind the Heat.
INDIANA
▪ Potential starters: Pascal Siakam, Tony Bradley, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Benedict Mathurin.
▪ Top rotation reserves: T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Quenton Jackson, Jerace Walker, Ben Sheppard.
▪ Heat comparison: No team has been diminished more in the past five weeks than the Pacers, first by losing Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals and then by losing Myles Turner in free agency. With Haliburton out for all of next season, coach Rick Carlisle must decide whether to start McConnell or Mathurin. The move from Turner to Bradley is a major downgrade. The upshot is that the Heat roster is arguably better than what the defending Eastern Conference champions will put on the floor next season, barring trades.
MILWAUKEE
▪ Potential starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Kyle Kuzma.
▪ Top reserves: Bobby Portis, Gary Harris, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, Taurean Prince.
▪ Heat comparison: Whether Antetokounmpo asks out remains the NBA’s biggest remaining story of the offseason. Asked earlier this month if he plans to remain with the Bucks, he said: “Probably. We’ll see ... probably. I love Milwaukee.”
Credit the Bucks for trying to appease Antetokounmpo by creatively finding a way to add Turner by waiving-and-stretching Damian Lillard, who returned to the Portland Trail Blazers and is expected to miss all of next season with a torn Achilles. Though the Bucks were able to retain Porter, Trent and Prince, they lost Brook Lopez. And Kuzma must play a lot better after a playoff disappearing act. The Bucks — who finished 11 games ahead of the Heat last season — likely have the better roster if Antetokounmpo remains, but it’s no longer clear cut.
DETROIT
▪ Potential starters: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren.
▪ Top reserves: Duncan Robinson, Caris LaVert, Isaiah Stewart, Paul Reed, Marcus Sasser.
▪ Heat comparison: The Pistons, already on the rise, downgraded slightly by replacing Malik Beasley (who is being investigated by the feds for alleged gambling) and Tim Hardaway Jr. with Robinson and LaVert. But Powell’s addition probably won’t be able to make up the seven-game difference in the standings between the teams last season. There’s not an enormous gulf between the Heat and Pistons rosters — on paper.
ATLANTA
▪ Potential starters: Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu.
▪ Top reserves: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Zaccharie Risacher, Kobe Bufkin.
▪ Heat comparison: With Young a year from potential free agency, the Hawks were resolute in augmenting a roster that lost at home to Miami in the play-in. The return of emerging impact player Johnson from last year’s season-ending injury (he averaged 18.9 points and 10 rebounds in 36 games), the additions of Porzingis and Alexander-Walker and Kennard and the development of Okongwu (13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds) put the Hawks ahead of Miami from a talent standpoint.
But Porzingis’ health is always a question, and Young has shot worse against Miami (39.5% in 23 games) than against any other Eastern conference team. The Hawks might have outgrown the play-in in a depleted, parity-infused East. If they meet again in April, Atlanta — if healthy — would seemingly be the favorite.
BOSTON
▪ Potential starters: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, Luka Garza.
▪ Top reserves: Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Xavier Tillman.
▪ Heat comparison: The Celtics have gone from Eastern co-front-runners last April to a potential lottery team because of the loss of Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles and the luxury tax/second-apron issues that forced the trades of Jrue Holiday (to Portland), Porzingis (to Atlanta), the loss of Luke Kornet (to San Antonio) and the likely loss of Al Horford, who continues to consider interest from several teams (and possible retirement). Instead of chasing Boston, Miami seems to have surpassed what the Celtics will field next season. Simons reportedly is being shopped.
PHILADELPHIA
▪ Potential starters: Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and two among Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe.
▪ Top reserves: One among Grimes, McCain and Edgecombe; Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Justin Edwards, Andre Drummond.
▪ Heat comparison: Edgecombe, the third overall pick in last month’s draft, looked like a future star in summer league, and McCain was terrific (16.2 ppg) before a season-ending injury last December. If this roster is ever healthy, it’s top four in the East from a talent standpoint.
But when are the 76ers ever healthy? Embiid’s knees remain a perpetual problem, and George’s timetable from last week’s knee surgery remains murky. The Heat is better than a 76ers team without Embiid or George, but can’t compete talent wise with a fully healthy Philadelphia roster.
CHICAGO
▪ Potential starters: Coby White, Josh Giddey (presuming he re-signs as a restricted free agent), Ayo Dosunmo, Matas Buzelis, Nic Vucevic.
▪ Top reserves: Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams, Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, Zach Collins Jevon Carter.
▪ Heat comparison: The perpetually middling Bulls added Okoro, and they are immersed in a financial staredown with Giddey. They’re probably a 10th seed at best. Miami, which beat Chicago in the first play-in last season, seems now clearly better.
TORONTO
▪ Potential starters: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poetl.
▪ Top reserves: Grady Dick, Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, A.J. Lawson.
▪ Heat comparison: If Ingram can stay healthy, this group could surpass a Chicago team that it finished nine games behind last season and possibly sneak into the play-in. The Heat finished seven games ahead of the Raptors last season, and the Powell pickup should keep Miami ahead, though the Raptors starting lineup is pretty good.
BROOKLYN
▪ Potential starters: Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams, Cam Thomas, Egor Demin.
▪ Top reserves: Keon Johnson, Terance Mann, Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowley, Jay’ron Sharpe and rookies Nolan Traore, Drake Wilson, Danny Wolf.
▪ Heat comparison: The Porter/Cam Johnson trade was something of a wash, and much of Brooklyn’s long-term hopes rest with this rookie class, headed by former BYU point guard Demin. If the Nets surpass the Heat, then this would be an unmitigated disaster of a season for Miami. At the very least, the Heat seems ahead of Chicago, Toronto, Brooklyn, Charlotte and Washington — which would assure a spot in the play-in, at the very least.
CHARLOTTE
▪ Potential starters: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Mason Plumlee, Kon Knueppel.
▪ Top reserves: Tre Mann, Spencer Dinwiddie, Colin Sexton, Grant Williams, Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, rookie Liam McNeeley.
▪ Heat comparison: There should be improvement with the return to health by Ball (25.2 ppg in 47 games) and Grant Williams (10.4 ppg in 16 games) and the additions of Dinwiddie, Sexton, Connaughton and rookies Knueppel and McNeeley. (Knueppel was very good in leading Charlotte to the Las Vegas summer league title.)
But Miami finished 18 games ahead of the Hornets last season, and these additions likely won’t make up that kind of difference with a Powell-infused Heat team.
WASHINGTON
▪ Potential starters: CJ McCollum, Bub Carrington, Khris Middleton, Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr.
▪ Top reserves: Malcolm Brogdon, Cody Kispert, sixth overall pick Tre Johnson, Cam Whitmore, Tristan Vukcevic, Marvin Bagley III.
▪ Comment/Heat comparison: The Wizards seem mired in an eternal rebuild, with virtually no hope of contending anytime soon. The Heat finished 19 games ahead of Washington last season, and that gulf should remain, if not expand.
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 10:50 AM.
