Who Will Be The Miami Heat's "Unsung Hero" This Season?

The Miami Heat’s fantastic offseason has come to a close as training camp and the preseason have begun this week. The Heat have become contenders in the Eastern Conference after landing one of the big fish of the offseason in two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Opposite Antetokounmpo, they also brought in four-time champion Klay Thompson. 

Despite the big names being added to the roster, there will need to be some veterans who step up and take on larger roles as the team’s depth was a relatively big concern early on this offseason. With that said, here are three names on the roster who could be considered “unsung heroes” by season’s end:

1. Davion Mitchell

Mitchell, 28, has turned into a real contributor for this team despite being an afterthought of a trade acquisition at the 2025 trade deadline. He is entering the season as the team’s expected starting point guard. Mitchell may have reached his ceiling in terms of his production but there is a world where he can improve upon his numbers from last season with increased playing time. Surrounded by a lot of new veterans, Mitchell could serve as a low-usage, high-efficiency player and that may be what the Heat need most from a player like him.

2. Bobby Portis

Portis, 31, has been around the NBA for a long time and brings some much-needed experience to the rotation. He has been renowned as an intense player and was an integral part of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 championship alongside Antetokounmpo. Portis can be a Swiss Army knife of sorts off the bench and can serve as a backup power forward or center, relieving both Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo when necessary.

3. Simone Fontecchio

The Heat made additions this offseason to help the perimeter shooting by bringing in Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. as well. However, a move that is considered under-the-radar at this point was the team retaining Fontecchio with a one-year contract. Last season, he served as a solid spark plug off the bench and was a good perimeter shooter. In 70 games played, he averaged 8.5 points while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range. He also had a strong stint for Team Italy in the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers this summer. If he can keep those three-point shooting numbers up, there will be a clear path to playing time and he could be a strong producer for a contending team.