The Heat aren't done tinkering with the roster after the Klay Thompson coup. Shams Charania broke the news that free agent center Nick Richards has agreed to a one-year deal with Miami, giving the team a third true big to pair with Bam Adebayo and Bobby Portis.
Free agent center Nick Richards has agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat, sources tell ESPN. After signing Klay Thompson, the Heat fill roster slot No. 14 with a reserve big man.
This one isn't glamorous, and it's not supposed to be. Richards is a 6-year veteran out of Kentucky who bounced around last season, splitting time between Phoenix and Chicago and averaging 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds across 48 games. He's a rim-running, rebounding depth piece — exactly the kind of guy a rotation needs when the starting center inevitably needs a breather or gets into foul trouble.
The timing matters more than the name. Miami just brought in Klay Thompson on a two-year deal after his buyout from Dallas, a swing for a proven shooter meant to put the Heat back in the contender conversation. Adding Richards behind him fills out the depth chart the unglamorous way, giving Erik Spoelstra a fourth big body without touching the guard and wing minutes Thompson is walking into.
🚨 Nick Richards has agreed to a one-year deal with the Heat, per @ShamsCharania.
The deal also brings Miami to 14 standard contracts, and reportedly it's not fully guaranteed until the season opens — the same low-risk structure the Heat have used on reserve bigs before. That flexibility matters, and it's exactly what Bobby Marks flagged: even after signing Richards, Miami still has room to add a 15th player if the front office wants to keep looking.
Before signing Nick Richards Heat still have room for a 15th player if needed
None of this reshapes what Miami is this season, but it does show a front office being methodical. The Heat aren't chasing a marquee name at center — they're stacking bodies behind Adebayo, keeping the non-guaranteed roster spot open for leverage, and leaving one seat unfilled in case something better shakes loose before opening night.