Inside The Heat

Four-Time NBA All-Star Among Miami Heat Potential Future Free Agent Targets

Ethan J. Skolnick|
Aug 12, 2023; Springfield, MA, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley walks the red carpet at the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Aug 12, 2023; Springfield, MA, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley walks the red carpet at the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

NOTE: This is the first in a series of players the Miami Heat could covet in future free agency

As we open a series of stories about players the Miami Heat could target in 2026 or 2027 free agency, or perhaps in a trade prior, we start with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.

The Heat are familiar with Young, perhaps too familiar.

Not including the play-in or playoffs, in which he's generally been even less efficient, Young has played 23 games against the Heat. And while he has averaged 21.1 points, he has shot just 39.5 percent overall. That's the second-worst Young has shot against any opponent.

So Erik Spoelstra knows how to guard Young. Gabe Vincent, no longer with Miami, did a number on Young in a 2022 playoff series, and others (especially Davion Mitchell) have throttled Young enough for the Heat to eliminate the Hawks in two play-in games since.

Young is an elite passer, and the Heat haven't had one of those in a while, not at the guard position for sure. That's one reason Miami drafted Kasparas Jakucionis, who appears a long way away. Young's ability to stretch the floor, get in the paint and throw excellent lobs would certainly benefit the Heat's bigs, especially Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware.

But the defense? That's another story. It's awful. You certainly couldn't pair Young with Tyler Herro in the backcourt. Quick and/or strong guards would penetrate and score at will. And it's hard to see the Heat moving Herro for Young. They'll just get shorter overall.

Plus, the internal Miami Heat word about Young has never been glowing. The Hawks may choose to move on from Young as they are reloading their roster with young talent, and have a better two-way lead guy in Jalen Johnson returning from injury. But it's hard to see the Heat being the team that takes Young from them, either via trade or if he becomes free in 2026.

Chance of Young to Miami: under 5%.

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Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

Ethan has covered all major sports -- in South Florida and beyond -- since 1996 and is one of the longest-tenured fully credentialed members of the Miami Heat. He has covered, in total, more than 30 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals. After working full-time for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Bleacher Report and several other outlets, he founded the Five Reasons Sports Network in 2019 and began hosting the Five on the Floor podcast as part of that network. The podcast is regularly among the most downloaded one-team focused NBA podcasts in the nation, and the network is the largest independent sports outlet in South Florida, by views, listens and social media reach. He has a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. from Columbia University. TWITTER: @EthanJSkolnick and @5ReasonsSports EMAIL: fllscribe@gmail.com

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