Miami Heat team president Pat Riley made his intentions clear that the organization does not intend to run it back next season.
Whether this means chasing a superstar potentially on the trade market like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo or acquiring young stars who can further develop remains to be seen. If Riley and the Heat’s front office opt for the latter route, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is a premier option.
ClutchPoints predicts that Miami will chase Kuminga in restricted free agency and hopefully outbid the Warriors.
“If the Heat want to swing for upside without compromising financial flexibility, then restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga is an ideal target,” ClutchPoints’ Enzo Flojo wrote. “At just 22 years old, Kuminga is still scratching the surface of his potential. Miami could be the perfect environment to unlock it.”
After averaging 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds on 45.4 percent shooting in the 2025 regular season, Kuminga has fallen almost entirely out of Golden State’s rotation in the playoffs. It’s hard to say if the Warriors would even waste their time forking up a significant offer to try and keep him in town.
As Flojo pointed out, the Heat’s developmental system is among the best in the NBA. While the current caliber Kuminga plays at is not worth a huge contract, he has plenty of time to develop into an All-Star.
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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.
