3 players in line for a big raise during the 2023 NBA offseason

G Gabe Vincent, Miami Heat

Gabe Vincent is actually one of two key contributors on the Miami Heat who are making a minimum deal and about to hit free agency. For the sake of variety, Vincent gets the nod here, rather than Max Strus.

Vincent is one of those players who always thinks he’s on a heater. Truth be told, sometimes he really is. He’s averaging 13.9 points per game during the postseason, well above the standard he set during the regular season, which was in the single digits. He’s also shooting 37.7 percent from three.

Take the last game of the upset over the Milwaukee Bucks. Vincent played a whopping 41 minutes in the overtime thriller, attempting 12 three-pointers and scoring 22 points while dishing out six assists.

The green light was still on during the first two games against the New York Knicks. Vincent eclipsed 20 points in each of those games, carrying an outsized role during the Game 2 loss due to the absence of Jimmy Butler.

Sometimes, that doesn’t go so well. In Game 3 against the Knicks, Vincent was relegated to a lesser role and responded by missing all but one of his eight shot attempts, including four three-point misses. He also committed four fouls and turned the ball over twice.

Still, the key role Vincent is playing for a team two wins from the Eastern Conference Finals suggests his minimum contract is not going to be enough going further.

Miami might end up stuck choosing between Strus and Vincent, which would not be an easy decision. The Heat hold the Bird Rights to both, so they can pay a premium to retain at least one of those core rotational pieces.

The Heat may want to keep Vincent around and turn him into an heir apparent for Kyle Lowry. Wherever he goes, he’s not going to be making $1.8 million again next year, that’s for sure.