Report: Miami Heat Have ‘Respect’ for Gabe Vincent Amid NBA Free Agency

The Atlanta Hawks acquired guard Gabe Vincent from the Los Angeles Lakers around the trade deadline this past season, and now, the 30-year-old is a free agent.

Vincent broke into the NBA with the Miami Heat, where he played some of the best basketball of his career. Now, there is some talk of a possible reunion between the two parties.

On Tuesday, The Stein Line listed Vincent as a player on Miami's "radar," and a new update from the Miami Herald details that the Heat have "respect" for the veteran.

The report from the Miami Herald, however, notes that it's "undecided" if the team will pursue a reunion with Vincent.

Vincent was a part of two NBA Finals trips with the Heat, one in 2020 and one in 2023. He didn't play much of a role for the 2020 team, but he was a key piece for the 2023 team.

In the 2022-23 regular season, he split time as a starter and bench player, averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. But in the postseason, he was exclusively a starter, and he took his game to another level. He averaged 12.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.

He had some fantastic performances during that playoff run, including a 29-point game in the Eastern Conference Finals and a 23-point game in the NBA Finals.

But the Heat unfortunately fell short of a title, and Vincent then left the team in free agency. Since then, he hasn't been quite the same player. His Lakers tenure didn't really work out, and he also didn't make a huge impact with the Hawks.

One has to wonder where a return to Miami would help the guard get back to his old ways. It isn't uncommon for players to leave the Heat and struggle outside of that system. Vincent may simply need to return to the franchise that helped him become a legitimate contributor at the NBA level.

If that is in the cards, he will get a chance to play for a squad that has a brand new look. The Heat will enter the 2026-27 season with a new duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, a pairing that the franchise certainly hopes will be the foundation for a championship run.

Miami, however, has some roster gaps to fill if it truly wants to contend. That's just one reason why Vincent is a player to keep an eye on.