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As the Miami Heat retool their roster, they added to their frontcourt with the signing of former Phoenix Suns small forward Nassir Little. The 24-year-old figures to add to the rotation behind starting forwards Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic. Last year, bench players Jamie Jaquez Jr. and Duncan Robinson each averaged about 28 minutes per game and Little figures to work his way into that rotation as an athletic wing or small ball four.
Little will likely provide some insurance in case Robinson's back injury, which caused him to miss significant time last season, flares up again.
Little began his career with the Portland Trail Blazers as the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He saw limited starts, mostly in the 2021-22 season, but was traded to the Suns as part of the larger three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
On August 21, the Suns waived Little with the stretch provision.
Miami Heat aim to regain swagger from 2022-23 NBA Finals run
The Heat will rely on their big three: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Butler could be in the final year of his deal, as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season. Set to earn nearly $48M this year, all the pressure is on the 35-year-old to get the team back where it was two years ago.
Bam Adebayo should've been last season's Defensive Player of the Year, according to Heat assistant coach Caron Butler when he appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“When you talk about versatility, when you talk about two-way defender, I mean it's a crime that [Bam Adebayo] hasn't won Defensive Player of the Year,” Butler said.
The 27-year-old made his first All-Defensive First Team last year and has steadily improved in all facets over his seven-year career.
The Heat will also need Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic back fully healthy. Rozier, who was added just before the trade deadline last year, added some much-needed backcourt scoring to the team but ended the year with a neck injury. Jovic is still returning from ankle and foot injuries suffered in June, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
“I would say I’m almost fully healthy,” Jovic said. “Of course, there’s a little ligament that still has to be 100 percent. They told me it would take a little bit more time, but it shouldn’t be an issue. Basically I’m 100 percent.”
The Heat's diverse offensive attack makes them so formidable in the playoffs, as their unique style of team offense wears down opponents.
