The Miami Heat are still a while away from playing their first game of the 2026-2027 NBA season, but they already have lost some depth. Backup point guard Dru Smith has reportedly been strained his calf and will miss several weeks. This is a big blow for Miami because they already were running thin at the point guard position.
Sep 28, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Tre Donaldson (24) poses for a photo during media day at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The question then is do the Heat need to bring someone in to fill that missing depth piece? To properly explore this question, one needs to evaluate what the Heat currently has on their roster. This is where things get interesting because the Heat do have players that could possibly play minutes at the position but are young.
The first person that comes to mind is Tre Donaldson. Donaldson is currently on a two-way contract with Miami as an undrafted rookie. Despite this do not be mistaken he is a player that has a real future in the league. Donaldson could also be a good fit around Giannis Antetokounmpo due to him being a respectable 36% from three last season at the University of Miami.
It is not just Donaldson that could take advantage of the minutes becoming available but also someone like Pelle Larsson. Larsson has proven to be a capable on ball player that can be trusted. He is certainly poised to help run the offense and considering he typically helps everything flow smoothly it could work out well for Miami.
Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Gabe Vincent (4) is defended by New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the third quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The other side of the equation is if there is anyone even available that would be worth signing. That would depend on who you ask but, in my opinion, there are only two players I would consider.
First, I would like to look at Aaron Holiday. Holiday's stats might not be eye popping but he was almost a 40% three point shooter the past two seasons and sits at 38% for his career. So, he would add instant shooting in Miami.
The second player I would look at is Gabe Vincent. Vincent is not the player he was when he first played for the Heat. That is just a simple fact. After leaving Miami virtually nothing has gone to plan for him. The hope would be that getting back to the Heat organization with Erik Spoelstra could unlock his talents once again. Both sides would be comfortable with each other at minimum.
Sep 28, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Ryan Conwell (4) poses for a photo during media day at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If I were in charge of the Heat, I would try to see what I already had on the roster. The injury is not season ending for Smith so he will come back at some point. The other reason is because if I were the Heat I would be interested in seeing what I have in Donaldson. That is more important than signing an end of bench guy to eat minutes.
Giving Donaldson more run, then allowing Larsson more on ball reps could still produce good results for Miami at least for a short period. In an indirect way it could also lead to more minutes for Miami's draft pick Ryan Conwell. There are just too many benefits of not signing a player that it would be wise for Miami to "like their team" one last time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as As Dru Smith gets hurt, Miami Heat have slim veteran point guard options .
