Miami Heat's Next Free-Agent Signing Is Obvious After Adding Tim Hardaway Jr.
Miami Heat's Next Free-Agent Signing Is Obvious After Adding Tim Hardaway Jr.
This player could be the perfect veteran minimum addition to reunite with Giannis Antetokounmpo Amir Motameni|
The Miami Heat made a very important signing yesterday after announcing that free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. has agreed to join the Miami Heat on a one-year deal. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a reliable three-point shooter and will complement Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo very well. The Heat are not done yet; they have at least two more roster spots to fill out before the start of the season.
The Heat are looking to build a championship core after acquiring Giannis, and with limited flexibility, the Heat will most likely target experienced veterans willing to sign for the veteran minimum.
One name that keeps getting mentioned is Khris Middleton.
A Reunion That Makes Too Much Sense
Middleton has been linked to the Miami Heat lately during the offseason, and it’s obvious why. Middleton and Giannis spent over a decade together as teammates with the Milwaukee Bucks. The duo led the Bucks during their championship run in 2021. The chemistry between the two is undeniable.
Giannis and Middleton’s relationship goes well beyond just playing basketball. Middleton was Giannis' best man at his wedding, and the two remain extremely close friends. That type of on/off court chemistry is very valuable for a team with championship aspirations.
Still A Valuable Role Player Off the Bench
Middleton is far from his All-Star form, but he is still productive and can contribute off the bench. Miami doesn’t need him to play 30 minutes a game or score 20 points a game; instead, they can rely on him in short bursts. Middleton can still spread the floor; he shot 39% from deep last season, and that will be very valuable for the Heat. He is someone who can help deliver in meaningful moments and will make smart decisions off the bench.
The most important thing is that Middleton has played in countless playoff games and understands what it takes to win at the highest level. That championship experience is something every contender values.
An Ideal Veteran Minimum Target
As of now, the Heat have zero flexibility, and if they want to sign Middleton, they will have to do so at the veteran's minimum. The Heat will need a reliable scorer off the bench, and situationally he will provide that for Miami. I can’t imagine Middleton signing anywhere but Miami. A reunion with Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis could give him one more opportunity to compete for another championship. ,
Published 22 minutes ago
AMIR MOTAMENIAmir Motameni is an NBA content creator and host of the Team to Beat podcast and YouTube channel, covering the Miami Heat and the NBA through fan-focused analysis and storytelling. He began his career working in professional sports before transitioning into the tech industry, bringing a unique mix of media experience and business professionalism to his coverage.
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Rangers sign Oliver Bjorkstrand to 1-year deal: How the free-agent winger fits in New York
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Live Big BoardUFA GuideTeam’s Salary-Cap RankedTrade BoardAnalysisRangers sign Oliver Bjorkstrand to 1-year deal: How the free-agent winger fits in New York
The minimal term means that Bjorkstrand, shown here last season, could be flipped next trade deadline. Mark LoMoglio / NHLI via Getty Images
By Vincent Z. MercoglianoJuly 1, 2026 Updated 3:20 pm EDTThe New York Rangers have checked their right-winger box by signing veteran Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million contract, according to a league source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.
The 6-foot, 175-pounder from Denmark registered a 50.42 percent expected goals rate last season while ranking in the 64th percentile for speed bursts between 20-22 mph, according to NHL Edge. He gives New York a middle-six option who could slot in as a second-line winger if Vincent Trocheck is traded and captain J.T. Miller makes a permanent move to center. He also adds a right-handed shooter to a forward group that’s heavy on lefties.
The 31-year-old is coming off a few down seasons, including only 32 points (12 goals and 20 assists) in 80 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but he’s had as many as 59 points with the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24 and has posted six seasons of 20 goals or more.
A native of Denmark, Bjorkstrand was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the third round in 2013, spending the first five full NHL seasons of his career with the organization.
Oliver Bjorkstrand's usage was really funky in Tampa Bay last year, but he should be a good fit in the Rangers' top nine pic.twitter.com/9rnIVgLwIV
— Shayna (@shaynagoldman_) July 1, 2026
How Bjorkstrand fits in New York
A top six featuring Bjorkstrand, Miller, Alexis Lafrenière, Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad and newly acquired sniper Pavel Dorofeyev is a realistic starting point for the 2026-27 Rangers, which would allow 24-year-old winger Will Cuylle to slide into a more comfortable third-line role. And if another top-six option is acquired who bumps Bjorkstrand down (perhaps in a Trocheck trade), he also has experience playing lower in the lineup, which he primarily did with the Lightning.
He isn’t a game-changer or play-driver, but represents a low-risk bet who won’t hinder New York’s long-term flexibility. The deal leaves roughly $8.7 million in remaining cap space.
The minimal length of the deal, which was first reported by Sportsnet, is also notable. The Rangers have added a little offense to their lineup in the short term, with the hope it helps them hang around in the playoff race. But if they fade out of contention, Bjorkstrand can be used as a trade chip to recoup assets at the 2027 deadline.
Jul 1, 2026Connections: Sports Edition
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Tagged To: Oliver BjorkstrandNHLTampa Bay LightningNew York RangersWatch Live: Donald Trump Visits the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library
Watch Live: Donald Trump Visits the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library
Breitbart News1 Jul 2026
President Donald Trump visits the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday, July 1.
The president is expected to deliver an address at the presidential library before returning to Washington, DC, this afternoon.
Earlier Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance addressed service members at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Former Senator & Milwaukee Bucks Owner Herb Kohl Dies at 88
Herb Kohl, a former Wisconsin Democratic senator and owner of NBA team Milwaukee Bucks, died Thursday at 88.
Share:More In Politics Load MoreOne Good Thing: Man Finds Nearly Five-Carat Diamond in Arkansas Park
Here's One Good Thing for your Thursday afternoon. A man on a visit to the famed Crater of Diamonds State Park made the find of a lifetime after finding the park's largest diamond to date. It weighed in a nearly five-carats.
Share:More In General News Load MoreDavid Axelrod Gets Brutal Lesson In Blue City Governance After Finding Man Passed Out In Chicago Heat
USDavid Axelrod Gets Brutal Lesson In Blue City Governance After Finding Man Passed Out In Chicago Heat
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds)
Derek VanBuskirk Reporter July 01, 2026 3:09 PM ET July 01, 2026 3:09 PM ET Derek VanBuskirk Reporter Font Size:Former President Barack Obama’s chief campaign strategist and CNN analyst David Axelrod alleged that Democrat-run Chicago, Illinois, ignored an unconscious man in the heat and suggested that city could have done more.
Axelrod said he was walking past the Art Institute of Chicago on July 1 when he saw a homeless-looking elderly man unconscious on the museum’s stone front steps, according to a post on X. He later added that the city’s facing a real-feel temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather listed an official temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit and a real feel temperature of 106 degrees as of publication. (RELATED: Angel Mom Torches Dems For Protecting Illegals: ‘There’s No ‘But’ When Your Child Is In A Coffin’)
Concerned, Axelrod said he asked the museum’s security guard about the issue. She allegedly told him that she had already woken him three times suggesting that he move into the shade, but that he had continued to refuse.
Not satisfied, Axelrod said he dialed 911. After he explained the situation, the operator allegedly said, “Well, is he ASKING for help?”
So I just walked by the Art Institute of Chicago where an elderly man, probably homeless, was sprawled unconscious, on the museum’s front stone steps in the midst of a heat emergency.
I asked a museum security guard about it and she said she had woken him 3 times and suggested he…— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 1, 2026
After replying that he hadn’t, the female operator allegedly replied, “Well I’m not going to send anyone.”
“So the man remained, passed out in the blazing noon sun,” Axelrod said. “I guess that’s how the City of Chicago deals with such situations.”
Axelrod then reflected on his own decisions, saying that perhaps he should have tried to wake the man and persuade him to find shade himself. Instead, the former Obama political strategist said that he was embarrassed to say he had not done that.
“I moved on, like many others who simply ignored him,” Axelrod said.
Although the analyst did not relate the alleged lack of action by passersby and officials or any policy that had led to the homeless man being there in the first place, Axelrod did say that he hopes “we’re not all complicit in assisting an unintended suicide.”
The Daily Caller reached out to the Chicago Police Department for comment.
This is a developing story.
