The Miami Heat need to pass on Bleacher Report's No. 1 unsigned free agent.
Despite opening day for the NBA regular season nearing, there is still a plethora of solid free agents waiting for a team to call their name.
Considering the Miami Heat are widely viewed in the tier of mediocre Eastern Conference teams, picking up one of these players could be of great benefit. Ben Simmons, Alec Burks, Markelle Fultz, and more are available, but Bleacher Report views one guard as better than the rest.
Enter Malik Beasley, who has been under a gambling investigation for months now. Not only is this a potential motivation for the Heat to avoid signing him, but even more important is how he would fit in the rotation.
Bleacher Report named Beasley as their No. 1 unsigned free agent in the NBA.
Beasley is a three-point specialist, and the Heat' backcourt is already filled with score-first guards, who are able to nail shots from the outside. The two most notable guards in Miami's rotation are All-Star Tyler Herro, who won the Three-Point Contest in the 2024-2025 season, and Norman Powell, who hit 41.8% of his threes last season.
On top of that, coach Erik Spoelstra will likely want to get sophomore sharpshooter Pelle Larson and rookie point guard Kasparas Jakucionis involved at some point. Terry Rozier and Dru Smith are also under contract, but it's tough to say how much action they'll see.
How The Heat Can Dodge A Franchise-Altering Mistake
The Miami Heat have two phenomenal big men in Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, but some are convinced the two cannot coexist.
Ware is dominating in the preseason with three consecutive monstrous performances prior to Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. He first recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds versus the Milwaukee Bucks, then 29 points and 12 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs, and finally put up 24 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Orlando Magic.
Meanwhile, Adebayo is having mediocre outings in a limited preseason role.
This led one Heat fan to post to X, writing, "The Heat now have to choose between keeping Bam or letting Ware have a chance to become a superstar."
While Ware or Adebayo would certainly have a greater number of touches without the other in the mix, real success for the Heat comes by playing them alongside each other. Adebayo stepped into a Draymond Green-like role last season, acting heavily as a playmaker and defensive anchor. If this trend continues, Ware's athletic, scoring style of play will not cross paths with Adebayo much at all.
Given Adebayo is only 6-foot-9, there's no reason he can't start at power forward just as Green does for the Golden State Warriors.
Unless Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available, there's no need for Miami's front office to contemplate trading either of these stars in the near future.