What the Miami Heat can do with the mid-level exception

One player won't be enough to make the Miami Heat instant contenders.

So while the pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo has continued from the regular season until the summer, the Miami Heat will need to do more than just acquire the Milwaukee Bucks superstar to surge into the top tier after finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference last season.

And that is especially true if, to execute the trade, Miami needs to gut much of the current roster -- likely including Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware and maybe even Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Kasparas Jakucionis or Davion Mitchell or Pelle Larsson, or some combination of those latter four.

With not even a handful of teams holding significant cap space open for this summer, and none of those teams being the Heat, Miami would be competing with several other teams also dangling their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to possible veteran contributors near their primes. That exception can start at $15.04 million for the first season, and extend for four years with 5% annual raises.

In a recent breakdown on ESPN.com, former NBA executive Bobby Marks ranked unrestricted and restricted free agents, as well as players who could opt out and become free agents. Norman Powell of the Heat was his second-ranked unrestricted free agent, at the present time. It is possible, if the Heat snag Antetokounmpo, that they could re-sign Powell to more than one season (since Miami will not care as much about preserved 2027 cap space) and still add someone high on Marks's list.

Here are three of the players he listed that could actually fall into the Heat's spending range:

1. Coby White

White always gave the Heat trouble when he was with the Chicago Bulls, and did again after the Charlotte Hornets acquired him at the 2026 deadline. White hit a critical fallaway shot in the play-in tournament opener, which pushed the game to overtime, where the Hornets eliminated Miami. And we know how the Heat have tended to acquire players who have consistently hurt them, from Wayne Ellington all the way to Simone Fontecchio. If Herro is included in the Giannis deal, Miami will need a microwave scorer in the backcourt, and White qualifies. But he was such a good fit in Charlotte that he may not shake free.

2. Ayo Dosunmo

Another guard who flourished after escaping Bulls purgatory, Dosunmo was Minnesota's second-most reliable scorer in the playoffs, averaging 15.6 points on excellent shooting splits in 10 games. But that's why this may be wishful thinking. The Timberwolves are in transition, and even if they don't get Giannis -- they're one of the Heat's primary competitors for him -- they will likely try to keep Dosunmo to keep Anthony Edwards content. Plus, as Marks noted, the Timberwolves are depleted at guard with Donte DiVicenzo likely out for next season due to an Achilles' injury. Miami would need to hope that Dosumno has an affinity for winter warmth.

3. Rui Hachimura

Another player who may stay put after a postseason pop. Hachimura has greatly improved his distance shooting, and if the Heat got Giannis, he would be an ideal complement as a spacer -- better in many ways for him than Kyle Kuzma was in Milwaukee. The question, however, is how the Lakers reshape their roster and whether they prioritze his retention. And some of that depends upon the status of LeBron James. If Hachimura isn't available, Tobias Harris (more of a scorer) and Luke Kennard (more of a shooter) are others to watch.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as What the Miami Heat can do with the mid-level exception.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM.