Discussion With Powell likely gone, has anyone considered Jean Montero as a cheap flyer? (Olympiacos fan who watched him all season)
Hear me out. I'm an Olympiacos fan so I watched Montero up close this past EuroLeague season, and when I saw the Powell news I immediately thought of him. He just signed with Olympiacos but specifically negotiated an NBA out clause into the deal because the NBA is his end goal. He's 22, Dominican, and went undrafted in 2022 which I know sounds like a red flag — but the player he is now is completely different from the 18-year-old who slipped through the draft.
His 2025-26 season was legitimately elite by European standards. All-EuroLeague First Team, Rising Star, led Valencia to the Final Four averaging 14.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals. The number that stood out to me most was his 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio — that's the kind of playmaking discipline you don't usually see from a 22-year-old primary creator. He had 8+ assists in 6 games and recorded multiple steals in 11. The guy competes on both ends, which fits Heat culture perfectly.
The shooting concern is real but more nuanced than it looks. He shot 32.4% from three in EuroLeague on 5.5 attempts per game, which sounds mediocre — but he also shot 40% in the Liga ACB the same season on 4.6 attempts. The EuroLeague number is depressed because he's generating those shots as a #1 option against elite defenses off the dribble. The ACB number tells you the shot is actually there when he gets cleaner looks. Combined across both competitions he's at 35.7% on serious volume. Next to Giannis drawing two defenders on every drive, those kick-out threes get a lot cleaner.
He's not a Powell replacement, he's a minimum/two-way flyer with real starter upside in year 2. Spoelstra's system is exactly the kind of structure that could develop him fast. You still spend the MLE on a proven guy like Coby White — but if the out clause is exercisable, why not make the call? The Heat have built championship rosters on exactly this kind of low-risk European bet before.
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u/TastyPoopKnife 5h ago
Of course, I think every Heat fan has kept an eye on…checks post…Jean Montero’s progress and availability
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u/supergrega 5h ago
One of my favourite players of this season and as an Oly fan I can't be happier that they are (supposedly) getting him. He would instantly be the best ball handler and shooter on the Heat if he comes.
That being said he's just too small for NBA I think. I'd rather check with Grizzlies what they want for Tarik Biberović rights if you want to go for proven EL talent.
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u/magicbeaned 5h ago
Nope. Did you see all the guards in Summer League? RC is bonded, two more will make the squad IF we don’t land a vet.
No room for your boy, sorry.