Clarity offered on Andrew Wiggins' Heat future. Also, what else Erik Spoelstra had to say in Vegas

Miami Herald

3 days ago

There has been plenty of offseason speculation surrounding forward Andrew Wiggins' future with the Miami Heat. It didn't help that the Heat included Wiggins in its offer for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant before Durant was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets earlier this offseason
But there's now some clarity on this situation, as a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald that the Heat's plan is to keep Wiggins on its roster for the start of next season, barring something unforeseen. The Heat is intrigued to see what this mix of players can accomplish after the recent addition of veteran guard Norman Powell.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra appeared to confirm as much while speaking to reporters on Saturday following the team's summer league practice in Las Vegas.
'Wiggs had some really good moments with us,' Spoelstra said. 'Before he got hurt, he was exactly what we needed and wanted out of that position. I think there's still real opportunity for growth with him as he gets comfortable with us. He's already down in Miami right now and will be bringing his family in. He's going to be here most of August and September, I think just to get more acclimated. And I think that's really important for him.'
Getting more acclimated and getting healthier will be important for the 30-year-old Wiggins, who has not spoken to the media since the end of last season.
After being dealt to the Heat in February as part of the Jimmy Butler trade, Wiggins went on to miss 15 of the 32 regular-season games he was available for due to injury or illness. With those absences limiting the amount of time Wiggins got on the court with his new Heat teammates, he averaged just 11.5 points per game on 16-of-43 (37.2%) shooting from the field as part of a disappointing showing during the Heat's first-round sweep out of the playoffs.
But the hope is that a full offseason and improved health will help Wiggins return to the player who proved to be a quality complementary piece for the Golden State Warriors. Wiggins, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, was voted into the 2022 All-Star Game as a starter and logged the second-most minutes for the Warriors during the 2022 playoff run that ended in an NBA championship.
Wiggins has two seasons left on his contract, as he's due $28.2 million this upcoming season and has a $30.2 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
'It's not easy changing teams midseason,' Spoelstra continued. 'But you can see the possibilities of the two-way play. He's really dynamic defensively. He can guard, in our system, multiple players. Offensively, his skill set is really unique because you can go to him. We probably played him more as a go-to guy than he had been playing in that role previously. Not for better or worse, we just needed that. But he also can play off the ball, which is important.'
The Heat got a glimpse at how Wiggins can help late last season amid his availability issues. Now, the Heat hopes that glimpse turns into something more this upcoming season.
'For about a five-week period, we were really encouraged about how he can fit,' Spoelstra said, looking back at last season. 'I think that's going to get a lot better just as he gets more comfortable and acclimated with us, the city, everything with our team and the players and in the locker room, all of that.'
Here's more of what Spoelstra had to say to reporters on Saturday, along with his strong comments about center Kel'el Ware:
▪ Spoelstra is intrigued by the possibilities of the backcourt partnership between Tyler Herro and Powell.
'I think it will work very well,' Spoelstra said. 'They are both skilled. They both have that ability to be on the ball, obviously, and they both have proven they can play off the ball.'
▪ Does Spoelstra view the Eastern Conference as wide open next season because of the key injuries and moving parts that other teams are dealing with?
'I don't and I think that's cool for the fan base to look at it that way,' he said. 'We're not afraid of the competition. You can't be afraid of the competition. You can't think that just because there's been some changes in rosters or some injuries that, 'Oh, now we have a chance.' That's kind of a loser's mentality. We want to compete at the highest level regardless of who's out there.'
▪ Spoelstra expects forward Nikola Jovic to report to training camp in late September as an improved player.
'Niko had a really good June and late May,' Spoelstra said. 'He's put on some strength, too. He's just going to come back looking different. Every year, he comes back stronger, bigger. I'm excited about his improvement.'
▪ Spoelstra is also optimistic that forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. will bounce back this upcoming season after a rough sophomore NBA campaign.
'He's got a phenomenal work ethic,' Spoelstra said of Jaquez. 'He works out three times a day. He'll play some pickup in L.A., play some five-on-five with those things in mind at UCLA, all that stuff. And then come back out at some point in August, clear mind, ready.'
▪ Spoelstra spoke about the challenge of parting with three-point shooting forward Duncan Robinson, who landed with the Detroit Pistons in a sign-and-trade deal this offseason after spending the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Heat.
'It was tough to make that call with Duncan,' Spoelstra said. 'I had a beautiful conversation. It was really more about the two of us being grateful for the relationship and all memories of something that was so improbable.'