With depth concerns looming after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Pat Riley could gamble on Ben Simmons or Victor Oladipo to bolster Miami’s bench for a title run.
The Miami Heat had a big offseason, adding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, as part of that trade, the Heat parted with four players and also lost All-Star guard Norman Powell to the Chicago Bulls in free agency. Despite making the big franchise-swinging move by getting Antetokounmpo, there have been concerns about the team's lack of depth.
They added former Dallas Mavericks wing Klay Thompson late last week after the five-time All-Star was waived. The Heat were interested in him over the last number of weeks and it finally happened. There are still two standard open roster spots on the roster, and many are wondering if Pat Riley has another move up his sleeve before the conclusion of the offseason. Miami may opt to only add one more player to reach the league minimum of 14 roster spots.
There are two players who are rumored to be making NBA comebacks and could potentially be targeted by the Heat for one of their roster spots: Ben Simmons and Victor Oladipo. There have been rumored spottings of the two working out together in Miami.
Earlier this summer, Simmons expressed his interest in making an NBA comeback and named the Heat as a potential destination. Simmons, 29, was once viewed as one of the best young players in the NBA. He was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the 76ers in 2016 out of LSU and was considered a generational type of talent. Over the next few seasons, Simmons established himself as a strong playmaker and defender. Opposite Joel Embiid, he fit perfectly, helping lead the 76ers back to the playoffs after their "process" era as an organization. However, he was never a particularly great shooter and those limitations started to become more apparent as his 76ers tenure progressed.
It all came to a halt in the 2021 playoffs when Simmons simply lost confidence in his shooting and became the worst free-throw shooter in postseason history. The 76ers quickly turned on him, and Simmons decided to hold out, skipping training camp and getting fined. He would then be dealt to Brooklyn in 2022 as part of the blockbuster James Harden deal where many believed he could revive his career. However, he only played in 92 games over a span of three seasons due to injury and was waived in 2025 before briefly joining the Los Angeles Clippers for the final stretch of the season.
Oladipo, 34, last played in the NBA in 2023 but most recently played for the Milwaukee Bucks' G-League affiliate, Wisconsin Herd, this past season. The former No. 2 pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic, Oladipo's career was unfortunately derailed by injuries. With the Indiana Pacers, Oladipo quickly changed the trajectory of his career. He earned two All-Star nods along with the Most Improved Player award in 2018. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team and the Defensive First-Team that same season. Unfortunately, his career would change drastically in the wrong way after a ruptured tendon ruled him out for most of the 2018-19 season.
Oladipo would never fully recover from that injury, returning to the NBA a full year after the injury. He would be traded to the Houston Rockets in 2021 before joining the Heat for two seasons. With the Heat, Oladipo was a bench player who saw career-lows in multiple statistical categories. If he returns to the NBA, Oladipo has the chance to change the narrative surrounding his career.
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