Miami Heat's Backcourt Dilemma: Is Ben Simmons the Solution?
The Miami Heat have spent the past week methodically crossing needs off the board.
- Shooting? Klay Thompson.
- Size? Nick Richards.
One problem still stares back at them from the depth chart.
Who actually runs the show in the backcourt when Davion Mitchell sits down?
Mitchell is penciled in as the starting point guard, but behind him things get strange in a hurry. Dru Smith is an option, though more stopgap than solution. Tim Hardaway Jr., Thompson and Pelle Larsson are wired to play off the ball. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo can initiate from the frontcourt, but Miami still lacks a second proven organizer who can calm a possession, see the floor and get everyone to their spots.
That’s where Ben Simmons suddenly becomes more than a curiosity. He becomes a real conversation.
A gamble that fits Miami’s DNA
Simmons, 30, is attempting to claw his way back into the league after sitting out last season. Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry flew to Florida this week to watch the former No. 1 pick work out, according to Sactown Sports 1140’s Carmichael Dave. The report from someone in the gym: Simmons “looked fantastic.”
For Miami, that kind of intel at the veteran minimum is exactly the sort of calculated swing the franchise has lived on for two decades. Low-cost, high-upside, and a role that doesn’t ask him to be something he no longer is.
The Heat wouldn’t be chasing the three-time All-Star version from Philadelphia. That player is gone, and pretending otherwise would be a mistake.
They’d be chasing a different version: a defender, rebounder and connector.
At 6-foot-10, Simmons is still one of the most unusual playmakers in the sport. In his last NBA season in 2024-25, split between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, he averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games. The scoring never came back. The vision and size never left.
The catch is obvious. His shooting limitations helped drive his decline and still demand careful lineup construction. Put Simmons on the floor next to Antetokounmpo and Adebayo for long stretches and the court could feel like it’s closing in on itself.
But Miami has changed the geometry around them.
Thompson arrives as one of the greatest shooters the league has seen. Hardaway, Andrew Wiggins and Simone Fontecchio add more perimeter punch. Richards, a true 5, gives the Heat another conventional center behind Adebayo, which means Simmons doesn’t have to pretend to be a small-ball answer at center just to get minutes.
Erik Spoelstra could instead drop him into a role that suits the modern version of his game: second-unit initiator, point forward, switchable defender, the guy who turns stops into easy looks before the defense sets.
That’s a role this roster still doesn’t have.
Richards’ arrival changes the math
Richards’ signing did more than add size. It reshaped how Miami can use its final roster spot.
Before he arrived, another big man sat at the top of the wish list. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Miami planned to use its 14th spot on a power forward or center, with Richards among the names generating real interest.
That box is now ticked.
Spot No. 15 can be something else entirely.
Around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, the Heat have already undergone a dramatic makeover. Thompson brings championship scars and elite shooting. Richards brings length, rebounding and rim protection. The glaring hole that remains is a steady hand who can handle the ball, organize the offense and keep things from unraveling when Mitchell is off the floor.
Simmons would not arrive without risk. Back issues derailed his career, and he hasn’t played in an NBA game since 2025. He told Men’s Health that nerve pain played a major role in his decision to step away before beginning this summer’s comeback attempt.
If his workout in Florida matched the rave reviews, there will be a market. Sacramento is hunting for veteran help behind rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., a situation that could offer Simmons a clearer path to heavy minutes and a larger role.
Miami’s pitch is different.
A defined supporting role on a contender. A coaching staff that has built its reputation on squeezing value out of unconventional players. A roster that, thanks to Richards, no longer needs a big body as much as it needs a big playmaker.
For the veteran minimum, the combination of size, defense and playmaking that Simmons still offers makes him exactly the sort of upside bet the Heat have never been afraid to take.
The question now is whether they’re willing to roll the dice one more time.
