Cedric Maxwell wore No. 31 for the Boston Celtics from 1977 to 1985, a cornerstone of Celtics jersey lore. A 12th pick out of UNC Charlotte, Maxwell posted 13.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 2.3 APG across eight seasons, donning Nos. 30 and 31. He helped Boston claim two championships and earned Finals MVP in that era before a 1985 trade to the Clippers. Celtics pride themselves on 25 retired numbers, with Maxwell’s No. 31 standing as a lasting badge of that title era.

Jalen Williams' rookie season rough patches gave way to All-NBA-level defense and a championship-ready arc for Oklahoma City. He recalls Kawhi Leonard lighting up his first NBA moment and Kevin Durant's fiery return game against OKC, memories that sharpened his two-way approach and leadership.

Three years later Williams anchors OKC's ceiling, translating those early trials into a versatile game and steady fantasy potential. Durant's era-defining nights and the Nets-to-Suns pivot frame the league's high bar and underscore Williams' rise as a high-upside, multi-stat contributor.

Heat bring back a full coaching staff and welcome a veteran presence in Goran Dragic, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Pelle Larsson—as well as Nikola Jovic—creating a mentorship-driven environment that could accelerate the development of young Heat players. Dragic’s gym presence and veteran voice pair with Spoelstra’s flexible, open-minded approach to role definition as the team contends with a mix of experience and youth.

Pelle Larsson’s EuroBasket aggression highlights a potential Heat niche, while Jovic’s Serbia opener suggests a complementary fit for a high-pace, open-court system. Jokic and Bogdanovic provide benchmark NBA-studying context for Serbia’s talent pool, with the Heat exploring how to weave these voices into a cohesive, energy-forward rotation behind the established core.

Overall, the piece frames the Heat as an organization leaning into continuity and layered leadership to maximize developmental upside for younger players, with Dragic and the veteran staff functioning as a stabilizing, knowledge-transfer backbone.