MIAMI – With the start of the Miami Heat's 2025-26 season upcoming at the end of October, there are a plethora of young players on the team who are looking to stand out to the coaching staff. As players on the Heat readjust their focus for the start of the season, one player, Vladislav Goldin, is having a different training camp compared to the rest of the team.

While training camp throughout the week is at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), it is a return home for Goldin, who played with the Owls' basketball team from 2021 to 2024. Goldin was a key part alongside head coach Dusty May on the team that went all the way to the Final Four in the 2023 national tournament.

Fast forward to the present, Goldin has graduated from Michigan after transferring there, as Miami signed the big man to a two-way contract. Goldin has already stood out from an impressive Summer League to now working with the captain in Bam Adebayo, whom the Russian-born player spoke highly of to Clutchpoints.

“I was truly surprised of how open he is to help, explain, and like he wants to speak up on the court, off the court,” Goldin said. “because he obviously has probably most of the experience. He played for the national team, he played for the Heat in the finals. He tries to give it to everybody else, because it matters, and it's something that can help young players.”

Besides Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, there's a big chance for Goldin to obtain more opportunities, but he is more focused on improving.

“Sometimes you might play, sometimes you might not,” Goldin said. “So you just have to put your head down and continue working. Whenever your opportunity comes, you just gotta be able to do it.”

Heat's Vladislav Goldin on returning to FAU, relationship with Dusty May

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

While the Heat are ready to make some noise in the 2025-26 season, Goldin is looking to get back to being comfortable in his surroundings at FAU throughout the week and improve. The person who has led him to where he is today on the basketball court is May, who led him to FAU and eventually brought him to the Wolverines.

“I feel like we have a great relationship, probably, we even have a better relationship now, because now, I graduate, I'm older now,” Goldin said. “We can talk a little bit more, like, easy, like, I'm not representing his team…And now, like, it means a lot to have that kind of relationship for life.”

Miami has done training camp at FAU before, with Goldin reminiscing to ClutchPoints about the full circle moment of watching the Heat practice when he was a student. Being back home for Goldin has no doubt been an “unbelievable” experience.

Article Continues Below

“It's unbelievable,” Goldin said. “I was sitting upstairs and watching the Miami Heat practice, how they carry themselves. I saw the same coaches, but I was watching from a different kind of view, and trying to understand what they do. And now I'm able to play here, work with them, and sometimes look up and see like young fellas who are trying to make it to the league as well. So just like understanding, we all go [through] a journey, and it's like we all want the same thing, and there's such a small margin who can make it. And it's understanding, like the privilege of being able to play in this sport.”

Heat's Erik Spoelstra on how “delightful” Vladislav Goldin has been

With people wondering who will breakout for the Heat, Goldin could be an interesting name to throw out there since he provides depth at center behind Adebayo and Ware. Still, he is a rookie, and that is still in development to work through the limitations he does have.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra would speak about the limitations that were relayed by May, as the two coaches spoke about Goldin, but also mentioned how the 25-year-old is “committed” to getting better. Spoelstra would say how “delightful” Goldin has been so far with the team, while mentioning the magic Final Four run that FAU went on.

“We know Dusty very well,” Spoelstra said. “I know Dusty, and I talk to him, so he said there's some things you can definitely count on, his size, his motor, his physicality. He does have some limitations, but he's committed to the process of development.”

“We're open arms with him, we see that there could be a role he could carve out in this league, based on how some things are changing, you know, and he's committed to it, and we'll just have to see how he progresses,” Spoelstra continued. “But he's delightful. Comes in every day, works hard as heck. He hits the crap out of our bigs and then smiles with them afterwards. I'm sure it's special being back here. That was a magical team. We all watched it in South Florida.”

At any rate, Goldin and the Heat will look to improve throughout the week of training camp at FAU before Saturday's first preseason game in Puerto Rico against the Orlando Magic.