Miami Looking for Frontcourt Help, Showing Interest in Trey Lyles and Kai Jones
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The Miami Heat are evaluating veteran and young big men as they reshape their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season, league sources told FastbreakJournal.com.
After dealing Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to Utah in a three-team trade last month, Miami shipped Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday in a salary-dump move. Those transactions left the club thin up front, with Bam Adebayo, Kelel Ware and Nikola Jovic currently positioned to handle most of the minutes at power forward and center.
Reporter Grant Afseth says the Heat have expressed interest in unrestricted free agents Trey Lyles and Kai Jones. Jones, who worked out in Miami this week, impressed team officials with his energy and activity, according to Afseth.
Lyles, selected 12th overall in the 2015 draft, has spent the last three-plus seasons with the Sacramento Kings. The veteran power forward appeared in 69 games last season, averaging 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while hitting 34.0% of his three-point attempts in 19.6 minutes per night.
Jones, the 19th pick in the 2021 draft, split the 2024-25 campaign between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. The 24-year-old center logged 40 games, producing 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds on 79.8% shooting in 11.7 minutes per contest.
With the Highsmith trade moving Miami below the luxury-tax threshold, the Heat have a vacancy on the standard 15-man roster. Afseth notes that either Lyles or Jones could claim the 14th spot, though the front office is evaluating additional candidates as well. Miami is unlikely to carry a 15th player at the start of the season because of its close proximity to the tax line.
Source: HoopsRumors
