Miami Heat season preview: Opening schedule, win projection and everything to know for 2026-27

The 2026-27 NBA season is here! Check out our team previews, including power rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy advice.

East:Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

West:Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

MIAMI HEAT2025-26 finish

Record: 43-39 (10th in the East, lost in play-in tournament to Hornets)

Offseason moves

Draft:Ryan Conwell (No. 37)

Signings:Andrew Wiggins (re-signed for 2 years, $34 million), Tim Hardaway Jr. (1 year, $6.5 million), Simone Fontecchio (re-signed for 1 year, 2.6 million), Klay Thompson (1 year, $3.9 million), Nick Richards (1 year, $3.1 million)

Trades:Giannis Antetokounmpo (from Bucks), Bobby Portis (from Bucks)

Key departures:Tyler Herro (traded to Bucks), Kel'el Ware (traded to Bucks), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (traded to Bucks), Kasparas Jakučionis (traded to Bucks), Norman Powell (signed with Bulls)

Current roster

Miami made a big offseason splash by trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)Minas Panagiotakis via Getty ImagesPreseason Power Rankings: No. 7

What's exciting: Erik Spoelstra must be having the time of his life this offseason imagining ways to integrate Giannis into the system. After running a unique offense last season without many on-ball or off-ball screens, I'm sure we'll see some elements of that still. But Giannis will force Miami to run more ball screens. I'm imagining Spo running big-big pick-and-rolls with Giannis and Bam Adebayo screening for each other, Klay setting slip screens for Giannis, and Giannis himself rolling down the paint after setting one for Davion Mitchell. Spoelstra is one of the best X's and O's coaches in the world, and odds are this Heat offense is going to have a long list of identities it can tap into.

What's concerning: Does Miami have enough shooting and creation? Acquiring Klay and THJ helps, but there aren't many high volume shooters on this team. And even if these guys can shoot from a standstill, there really aren't many options to take pull-up jumpers off the bounce. Will Mitchell develop it? Or will Conwell surprise everyone as a rookie? The Heat were a middling 3-point shooting team last year, and there's no guarantee it improves. — Kevin O'Connor 

Preseason Power Rankings: How all 30 teams stack up ahead of 2026-27

Fantasy watch

Point-Giannis is ridiculous and I don't care about his free-throw issues and lack of 3s. He's a top-five player across formats and will put up serious numbers in Miami. I'm moving him up in my 9-cat rankings, so don't be surprised when it happens. — Dan Titus

Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 NBA season

2026-27 schedule

Opening week: 10/21 vs. Wolves, 10/23 vs. Pistons, 10/24 at Hornets

Complete schedule

Betting perspective

46.5 — win total

+160 to win division

+3000 to win NBA Finals

Best case, worst case

Best case: No. 1 seed

This would be the Giannis MVP pathway, leading a Heat offense that ranked just outside of the top-10 last season and lifting it to elite levels. An Adebayo-led defense with this personnel should be in the top-five. Constant paint pressure, a high quality (and volume) of 3s, plus an elite defense is a formula that could produce 50+ wins.

Worst case: Play-In Tournament

I think it'd take some otherworldly bad injury luck for the Heat to miss the play-in altogether, but there's certainly a world where Giannis misses time and the offense underwhelms. It'd serve as a reminder that the Heat's three best perimeter creators (Tyler Herro, Norm Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr.) from last season are no longer here.

And while Miami's late-season defensive slide was due to a bit of shot variance from 3, it is worth noting that the floor of this group lowers if they're "only" a solid defense instead of an elite one. — Nekias Duncan

Read the full Southeast Division preview