Miami Heat: Five things you need to know

• Miami traded Tyler Herro and a package to land two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo
• The Heat missed the 2025-26 playoffs, finishing 43-39 and 10th in the East
• Canberra's Patty Mills is among the Australians to have played for Miami

The Miami Heat joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1988 and have since built one of the league's most recognisable identities, with three championships and a culture of hard work they have turned into a brand of its own. In July 2026 they made the boldest move in franchise history, trading for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to pair with Bam Adebayo and vault back into Eastern Conference contention.

The blockbuster: Giannis to Miami

On July 6, 2026, the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a franchise-altering deal: Miami sent out Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Kel'el Ware, rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis and a package of draft assets, including first-round picks in 2026, 2031 and 2033, a 2033 pick swap and a 2033 second-rounder. Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, the 2021 champion and Finals MVP, and a former Defensive Player of the Year, gives the Heat one of the game's most dominant forces and reshapes their ceiling overnight.

2025-26 Recap

• Record: 43-39
• Finish: 10th in the Eastern Conference; missed the playoffs
• NBA Cup: Reached the knockout stage as an Eastern Conference wildcard, eliminated by Orlando in the quarter-finals

Miami improved on its 37-win 2024-25 season but fell short of the postseason, a result that set up the aggressive offseason that followed. Tyler Herro, coming off his first All-Star campaign, was the centrepiece the Heat were ultimately willing to move to land a superstar.

The 2026-27 offseason and roster

Beyond the Antetokounmpo blockbuster, the Heat re-signed Andrew Wiggins to a veteran extension, added shooting in Tim Hardaway Jr, re-signed forward Simone Fontecchio and guard Davion Mitchell's backcourt partner group, brought back centre Vladislav Goldin on a two-way deal and signed guard Tre Donaldson. They waived Terry Rozier in April 2026.

Heading into 2026-27, the roster is built around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, with Wiggins, Norman Powell and Bobby Portis providing support and Erik Spoelstra, entering his 19th season as head coach, steering the group. The Heat's defensive identity remains the constant.

The Australian connection: Patty Mills

Canberra-born Boomers great Patty Mills is among the Australians to have worn a Heat jersey. Waived by the Atlanta Hawks in late February 2024, Mills signed a rest-of-season deal with Miami in March 2024, arriving in time to be eligible for the franchise's playoff run and adding veteran guard depth and championship experience.

History of the Miami Heat

Miami struggled in its early years before Pat Riley arrived as team president and head coach in 1995. Riley's first significant moves - trading for Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway - built the platform for a winning culture and the arrival of Dwyane Wade, drafted fifth overall in 2003.

The franchise's first championship came in 2006, when Wade and Shaquille O'Neal led the Heat back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the Finals. The "Big Three" era of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Wade, formed in 2010, produced four straight Finals appearances and two titles - against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012 and the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. James won both the regular-season MVP and Finals MVP in each of those championship seasons.

Miami returned to the Finals in 2020 as a fifth seed in the Orlando bubble, losing to LeBron James and the Lakers. In 2022, as the top seed in the East, the Heat lost a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals to Boston, Butler's potential go-ahead three rimming out late in game seven. A year later, as the eighth seed in 2023, Miami beat Boston in another game-seven Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals - just the second eighth seed to do so, after the 1999 New York Knicks - before losing to the Denver Nuggets.

Identity: Heat Culture

The Heat's identity is built on hard work, discipline and accountability, the philosophy known as "Heat Culture" and instilled by Pat Riley. It emphasises conditioning, mental toughness and a team-first mentality, and shows in a style defined by strong defence and adaptability. The club is known for maximising player potential and reviving careers, regularly finding success with undrafted players and veterans seeking a fresh start.

Five fast facts

1. The Heat's 27-game winning streak in 2012-13 is the second-longest in NBA history, behind only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers' 33.
2. Miami has retired seven numbers: 1 (Chris Bosh), 3 (Dwyane Wade), 10 (Tim Hardaway), 23 (Michael Jordan, honorary), 32 (Shaquille O'Neal), 33 (Alonzo Mourning) and 40 (Udonis Haslem). Like every NBA team, the Heat also honour Bill Russell's 6.
3. The franchise has had only six head coaches, with Erik Spoelstra the longest-tenured active coach in the NBA.
4. Miami is one of only four franchises to win three or more championships since 2000, alongside the Lakers, Spurs and Warriors.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest star the Heat have traded for since forming the "Big Three" in 2010.

Club timeline

• 1988: Miami Heat join the NBA as an expansion team
• 1995: Pat Riley becomes team president and head coach
• 2003: Dwyane Wade drafted fifth overall
• 2006: First NBA championship, defeating Dallas
• 2010: LeBron James and Chris Bosh join Wade to form the "Big Three"
• 2012: Second championship, against Oklahoma City
• 2013: Third championship, against San Antonio
• 2020: Reach the NBA Finals as a fifth seed
• 2023: Reach the NBA Finals as an eighth seed
• 2025: Trade Jimmy Butler to Golden State
• 2026: Acquire two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee

Key Takeaways

• A franchise-altering swing. Trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo is the boldest move Miami has made since the LeBron James era, and it instantly reshapes the Eastern Conference picture.
• Herro was the price. The 2025 All-Star headlined a package of young talent and draft capital that went to Milwaukee.
• The playoff miss forced the issue. A 43-39, non-playoff 2025-26 season set the stage for an all-in offseason.
• The Australian link endures. Boomers veteran Patty Mills is part of a Heat story basketball.com.au readers can claim a stake in.