Miami Eyes Game-Changer: Are Precious Achiuwa Talks on the Brink of a Breakthrough?

The Miami Heat find themselves in a bit of a bind down low. Bam Adebayo, undeniably an All-NBA talent, has wisely preferred to slot in at the four more often this season — smart move, given the bruising battles he’d face guarding those bulky centers every night. But beyond Bam, the frontcourt depth feels a tad slim: there’s the promising Kel’el Ware and two-way player Vlad Goldin, both still growing into their roles. Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson will see minutes too, though they’re more natural at the four spot, not the five. So what’s a team to do? Naturally, Miami is circling back to familiar turf — sniffing around for Precious Achiuwa, a former Heat big who’s recently hit free agency after stints in Toronto and New York. With the luxury tax looming and roster spaces tight, bringing him or another familiar face like Thomas Bryant aboard won’t be straightforward — it’ll mean bold roster maneuvers, perhaps even waving goodbye to someone like Terry Rozier to make the numbers work. It’s a delicate dance, balancing cap space, roster needs, and competitive ambitions. If you’re curious about all the ins and outs, keep an eye on this unfolding story. LEARN MORE

Miami is thin along the frontline. Bam Adebayo is an All-NBA level player at the four or five, but has asked to play more four over the course of the regular season to avoid some of the wear and tear of going against bigger centers nightly. The Heat’s center rotation beyond Adebayo is promising sophomore Kel’el Ware and two-way player Vlad Goldin. Miami will play Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson this season, but both are fours, not fives.

That has the Heat reaching out to a former Miami player, Precious Achiuwa, reports Ira Winderman at the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Achiuwa and guard Goran Dragic were dealt to the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 offseason in the deal that brought in guard Kyle Lowry. Achiuwa since moved on to the New York Knicks, who opted to allow him to move on as a free agent this offseason.

Achiuwa was a solid rotation big for the Knicks last season, averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a game while shooting 50.2% from the floor. He played more early in the season, but when Mitchel Robinson got healthy, it was Achiuwa whose minutes went to the elite defender.

The Heat have also been in contact with another former player of theirs, center Thomas Bryant, who played last season for Indiana but now remains a free agent.

While Miami has a roster spot, they are just $1.8 million below the luxury tax line — not enough to sign a player to a veteran minimum contract — and don’t want to cross that threshold for this roster. That means if the Heat are going to sign Achiuwa, Bryant or anyone else they need to make a roster move. Winderman suggests that the team could buy out the contract of guard Terry Rozier, whom they spent the summer trying to trade (his contract is guaranteed for $24.9 million of the $26.6 million he is owed). The Heat are not under a time crunch to make that move, they can waive Rozier up to Jan. 10, it just depends on how much they like Achiuwa and how much they want him (or another player) on the roster to start the season.