Four games in, and the Miami Heat are already in a hole. The Heat went all-in on Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, surrounded him with veterans, and still haven’t won once. Monday’s 113-109 loss to Dallas hurt more than most, because Giannis was excellent: 29 points, 14 boards, 11 assists, and it still wasn’t enough.

Individually, he’s done his job, with 28.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 55.7% shooting. The team around him is the problem. Miami scores 109.0 a night, sits 28th in offensive rating (103.6), and hits just 30.6% from three. Bam Adebayo is down to 11.8 points on 40.0% shooting, and Andrew Wiggins is giving them 8.8 a game.

Yes, it’s early, but something is off with this offense. Giannis and Bam have been outscored by 45 points in 71 minutes together, and every time the defense collapses on Giannis, Miami can’t find a clean look. They need another guard who can score, or at least somebody who makes threes on a regular basis.

I’m not saying blow it all up after four losses. But Pat Riley should already have a list on his desk. These are two moves that could steady the ship without costing Miami extra assets.

1. Dejounte Murray Could Be The Scorer Miami Is Missing

Miami Heat Receive: Dejounte Murray

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Nikola Jovic, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Before chasing guards who are really hard to get, I’d call the New Orleans Pelicans about Dejounte Murray. He’s 30, earning $32.8 million, and the Pelicans are 0-3 with a young group that isn’t ready to compete. He’s still a good player, sure, but I honestly don’t see why they’d keep him right now.

He’s also started the season well: 20.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 steals on 49.0% shooting. He dropped 23 on Indiana, 16 on Utah, and 22 on Denver. New Orleans lost all three, but you can’t blame Murray for that.

This is exactly the profile Miami needs. Davion Mitchell has been one of the few good surprises, with 18.0 points and 7.0 assists through four games. He’s basically the second-best player on the team, but that was never the plan when they traded for Giannis.

Murray can give you 20 and also create for Giannis and everyone else. With Atlanta in 2023-24, he averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, shooting 45.9% overall and 36.3% from three. He gets into the paint, lives in the midrange, and can run an offense, which helps Miami escape that “Giannis Wall” everybody builds against the Heat.

I especially like him next to Bam, who’s a very good passer for a center. Murray could use his screens to get to the midrange or attack the rim. He could also lead the second unit, so Spoelstra doesn’t need Mitchell or Giannis to create almost every good shot for this team.

The shooting is the obvious red flag. Murray is only at 23.1% from three this season, and putting another streaky shooter next to Giannis and Bam is not ideal. There’s also the medical side: he tore his right Achilles in January 2025 and missed more than a year, so Miami has to be fully comfortable with that before pulling the trigger.

At the right price, though, I’d take the risk. He came back for 14 games last season and put up 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on 48.4% shooting. He’s playing 33.0 minutes a night now, and the scoring looks a lot closer to his pre-injury numbers.

For New Orleans, Nikola Jovic is the main attraction. He’s 23, signed a four-year, $62.4 million extension, and he has lots of time to grow. In Miami, his role has shrunk to almost nothing: 3.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in three appearances.

I don’t think Jovic is bad at all, but the Heat are in a different situation now. With Giannis and Bam eating most of the frontcourt minutes, there’s just no room for another young forward. Moving him for someone who helps today makes more sense than keeping him on the bench and hoping development pays off later.

The Pelicans could give him a bigger role next to Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Trey Murphy III. They’d also get Bobby Portis, who’s averaging 10.3 points and 8.0 rebounds for Miami, and Tim Hardaway Jr., who shot 40.7% from three for Denver last year while scoring 13.5 a game.

The money works pretty well: Miami sends out around $37.2 million and takes back $32.8 million, so they save about $4.4 million. New Orleans would have to absorb extra salary and open two roster spots, so it’s a bit messy.

I wouldn’t add a first-round pick, not with Murray’s age and injury history. If the Pelicans insist on one, I’d walk away and look elsewhere. But Jovic, Portis, and Hardaway is a solid opening offer for a guy with a $30.8 million player option for 2027-28.

Miami needs somebody who can take 15-18 shots when it’s necessary and create offense when Giannis isn’t involved. Murray does that, and he’d be another experienced guard without forcing them to give up Wiggins or Mitchell. Of the two deals, this is the one I’d push first.

2. Corey Kispert Would Give Giannis Real Spacing

Miami Heat Receive: Corey Kispert

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Nikola Jovic

Corey Kispert is a totally different kind of move, but I really like it. Miami doesn’t have enough reliable shooters, and here’s a 27-year-old who has shot over 38.0% from three in multiple seasons and is barely playing for the Atlanta Hawks.

They are 2-2, and Kispert has played only 11 minutes total in his first two appearances. That’s wild for a guy who averaged 13.4 points and shot 38.3% from three with Washington in 2023-24. The year before, he hit 42.4% from deep, and last season he finished with 9.2 points on 36.7%.

So why isn’t he on the court? Just look at the roster: Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and CJ McCollum are all getting regular minutes. Atlanta has guards and wings everywhere, and Kispert ended up way down the rotation.

Miami could really use him. Giannis is still one of the hardest players in the league to stop near the rim, but teams will keep sending extra bodies at him if they don’t fear the shooters around him. And right now, that’s exactly what’s happening.

Klay Thompson is at 9.0 points a game, Wiggins is at 8.8, and Hardaway is shooting just 20.0%. Those numbers should come up eventually, but Miami can’t rely on Giannis scoring almost 30 every night while everyone else misses open shots.

Kispert wouldn’t have to change anything. He moves well off the ball, comes off screens, and takes the open three when Giannis drives. He also shoots quickly, which matters a lot when the defense is scrambling after helping on Antetokounmpo.

I can see him playing 22-25 minutes for Spoelstra, especially if Thompson and Hardaway keep struggling. 10 to 12 points with two or three threes would already be a big help, and he wouldn’t steal possessions from Giannis or Bam.

Kispert also makes around $14.0 million this season, and Jovic makes $16.2 million, so Atlanta takes on about $2.2 million more, and Miami saves a little while getting a shooter who has already shown he can do the job.

The Hawks would be betting on Jovic’s upside. He’s four years younger than Kispert, he’s bigger, and he handles the ball better than most forwards. Atlanta already has Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, but another young forward could be interesting, especially with some of their frontcourt players dealing with injuries.

I’d understand if Miami hesitated to give up Jovic for a role player, especially since he’s signed through 2029-30. But the Heat aren’t rebuilding anymore, and Kispert fits what they need right now. Jovic might become the more complete player one day, but that doesn’t give Giannis better spacing this season.

Another plus: Miami wouldn’t need to move several veterans or wait until December 15 to make the move. Kispert is already under contract, has a team option for 2028-29, and has no real role in Atlanta. That makes him a name worth exploring if the Hawks are open to moving him.

I’d still go with Murray, because he does more on offense. But Kispert solves the shooting problem at a much lower cost, and with the Heat hitting only 30.6% from three, I don’t think they can ignore that.

Miami Needs To Figure It Out Soon

Four games don’t define a season, and I’m not expecting Riley to pick up the phone tomorrow. But this roster was built to win around Giannis, and an 0-4 start with one of the worst offenses in the league is not a good sign.

My preference is Murray, because Miami needs another guard who can score and create, not just someone standing behind the arc. Kispert is the easier option if they want better shooting without changing too much.

Both trades are hypothetical, and they can’t happen together since Jovic is in each package. Neither has been reported as an active negotiation. Giannis is already playing well enough to win games. The rest of the roster just needs to catch up, and if things don’t turn around soon, I expect Riley to start making calls.