Miami Heat Considered Among Teams With Tough Offseason Road Ahead

The Miami Heat's disappointing regular season concludes next week.

The team holds the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. That is good for a Play-In tournament appearance. However, the Heat were in the NBA Finals just two seasons ago. The Heat need to win out the remainder to finish with a .500 record. The last time the team finished below .500 was the 2018-19 season.

Moving Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline threw a wrench in the franchise's plans for the future. Bleacher Report believes the Heat have a somewhat difficult future ahead.

"Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and rookie center Kel'el Ware give the Miami Heat a solid baseline off which to work moving forward," the article wrote. "But their draft-pick obligations demand chasing immediate highs, and they don't exactly have the assets or in-house upside to pull it off."

Over the past few seasons, Herro was floated in trade rumors, especially when the Heat were in the mix for All-Star guard Damian Lillard. This season, Herro has broken out, earning an All-Star nod. He is viewed as a building block for the future along with Adebayo and Ware.

"Point being: Miami doesn't have the freedom to rebuild, is light on tradeable firsts even after scooping up Golden State's for this year, and cannot carve out meaningful cap space until at least 2026," the article continued. "The Heat have limited capacity to shake things up, and the odds of dramatic internal improvement rest predominantly with Ware or Jaime Jaquez Jr. (to a lesser extent these days)."

The Heat have some money to work with this offseason after moving off Butler's contract. However, the 2026 offseason is crucial for the franchise as Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson's expensive contracts expire.

HEAT AMONG DURANT'S PREFERRED TRADE DESTINATIONS

The Miami Heat have a busy offseason ahead of them.

The team notably traded star Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline after months of dispute.

At the deadline, trade rumors surrounding Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant gained momentum. The Miami Heat were reportedly a preferred trade destination for the 15-time All-Star. Durant was not traded but talks are expected to resume this offseason according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.

Other teams interested included the Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs. Durant did not want to get traded mid-season for the second time in three seasons. He has reportedly grown disgruntled as the Suns are still fighting for a spot in the Play-In tournament with only a handful of games left in the regular season.

If the Heat make a move for Durant this summer, the team should immediately become one of the championship favorites in the Eastern Conference. A foundation built around Durant, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo could be a dangerous contender. His price should be hefty on the trade market. Acquiring Durant may force the Heat to part with multiple first-round picks and young stars such as Kel'el Ware.

Durant turns 37 this fall. He is under contract through next season before hitting unrestricted free agency. This season, Durant is averaging 26.6 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field.

BUTLER TRADE NAMED "PLOT TWIST" THIS SEASON

The Jimmy Butler saga may have overshadowed a disappointing Miami Heat season.

Butler's issues with the organization stemmed from last offseason. Heat president Pat Riley denied a contract extension for Butler, leading to a falling out between the two. Butler's age made it difficult for Riley and the Heat to commit to more seasons. Butler has a player option this summer but all signs pointed to him declining that option and entering free agency if not moved prior to the deadline. Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors at the trade deadline.

Bleacher Report named the blockbuster trade with the Warriors among the biggest plot twists this season.

"It was not surprising that Jimmy Butler was traded after failing to agree to a contract extension with the Miami Heat," the article wrote. "His whole trade saga was filled with plot twists and turns until he ultimately ended up with the Golden State Warriors at the deadline. Butler not only demanded a trade but was intent on making it ugly and uncomfortable in Miami until he got his wish. There were three different suspensions: a seven-game suspension to start 2025 for conduct detrimental to the team, a two-game suspension for missing a team flight, and then an indefinite suspension after walking out of a practice."

Butler has made a strong impact in Golden State. When the Warriors traded for Butler, they were 25-25 and were tied for the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Now, the team has climbed to the No. 5 seed in a highly competitive conference. The Warriors look to make a deep run in the playoffs while the Heat start in the Play-In tournament. The trade has flipped outcomes for both teams.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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