Jeff Teague believes the Miami Heat have done enough this offseason to move firmly into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference.
Following Miami’s addition of Klay Thompson, the former NBA guard argued that the Heat are already better than the Philadelphia 76ers and now belong in the same conversation as the New York Knicks. Thompson officially signed with Miami after reaching a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks, adding another proven shooter and four-time champion to a roster that had already undergone a dramatic transformation with the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I told y’all the Heat was gonna be better than the Sixers. — We got Bam, Giannis, Klay, Wiggs, Mitchell, THJ off the pine, Portis off the pine. We got a nice 7. Ryan Conwell. I like Buddy too, Nikola Jovic. He ain’t bad. — Don’t let Jrue Holiday get a buyout and go to Miami. We (Heat) the best team in the East, competing with the Knicks”
Jeff Teague says the Heat are better than the 76ers and right there with the Knicks in the East after signing Klay Thompson:
“I told y’all the Heat was gonna be better than the Sixers. — We got Bam, Giannis, Klay, Wiggs, Mitchell, THJ off the pine, Portis off the pine. We got a… https://t.co/FbTg4319Lk pic.twitter.com/S1GBbbtEEg
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) August 24, 2026
Teague’s optimism is easy to understand when looking at Miami’s top-end talent. Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo give Erik Spoelstra an imposing and highly versatile frontcourt, while Andrew Wiggins provides another experienced two-way wing. Davion Mitchell, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Nikola Jović and rookie Ryan Conwell give the Heat additional options around that core.
Thompson addresses one of the most obvious needs created by the Antetokounmpo-Adebayo pairing: perimeter gravity.
Miami now has two elite interior forces who can pressure defenses around the rim, making reliable shooting around them particularly important. Thompson no longer carries the same two-way workload he did during Golden State’s championship years, but the shooting remains valuable. He averaged 11.7 points last season and converted 38.3 percent of his three-point attempts for Dallas. He also enters Miami ranked fourth in NBA history in made three-pointers.
His presence can therefore matter without requiring a large number of touches. Defenders are reluctant to abandon Thompson away from the ball, and that alone can create additional room for Antetokounmpo to attack, Adebayo to operate around the middle of the floor and Miami’s guards to penetrate.
However, Miami still has to prove that its unusual roster construction can produce an elite offense, particularly with Antetokounmpo and Adebayo both doing much of their best work inside the arc. Thompson is also 36 and coming off the lowest-scoring season of his NBA career.
But the Heat now possess something that is difficult to dismiss: high-level star power, considerable playoff experience and significantly more shooting than they had before Thompson arrived.
Teague even floated another hypothetical addition, suggesting that a potential Jrue Holiday buyout followed by a move to Miami could push the Heat to the very top of the conference. There is no indication in Teague’s comments that such a move is imminent; it was presented simply as the final piece of his hypothetical.
For now, his broader argument is already bold enough.
Miami did not add Klay Thompson expecting him to become the player he was a decade ago. The Heat added him because even the current version can alter how defenses are forced to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo.
