Miami Heat’s Critical Needs in the 2024 NBA Offseason
For the second consecutive season, the Miami Heat finished as the eighth seed. Entering an integral offseason, the team must address several crucial needs to pursue their championship aspirations. Here are the primary areas Miami needs to focus on during the 2024 NBA offseason.
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Re-signing Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo
While the focus is on addressing team needs, retaining key players like Bam Adebayo is essential. However, the more pressing matter is Jimmy Butler’s contract extension. Heat president Pat Riley, in his end-of-season press conference, was non-committal about Butler’s extension, emphasizing player availability.
“Well, you know, we don’t have to do that for a year, so we have not discussed that internally right now but we have to look at that and then making that kind of commitment,” Riley stated.
“But that’s something that we have to give some real thought to based on a lot of factors. I don’t want to go through the litany of factors right now because they all go up into different hypotheticals, but yeah, that’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you’re somebody who’s really going to be there and available every single night, that’s the truth.”
Assuming Butler is re-signed along with Adebayo, here are the needs Miami must address this offseason:
Pairing Another Star with Butler and Adebayo
In the past five years, Butler has led the Heat to the NBA Finals but has struggled to secure a championship. Adding another star to complement both Butler and Adebayo is crucial. Last season, they nearly acquired Damian Lillard, but he went to the Milwaukee Bucks. This offseason, potential targets include Kevin Durant or possibly a reunion with LeBron James if his son Bronny is drafted by Miami.
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A heavily rumored and potentially perfect acquisition is Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, though there is a “league-wide expectation” he will re-sign with Cleveland.
“Despite a wealth of interest in both Garland and Allen on the trade market, Cleveland is not expected to entertain trade offers for any member of its core four at this time, sources said, while a league-wide expectation only grows that Mitchell will sign a contract extension with the club that acquired him from Utah back in September 2022,” wrote Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Other Star Options and the Necessity of Change
Another option is Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, rumored in trade discussions. Miami could benefit from a facilitating point guard like Young. However, fans may be cautious as Miami has struggled to secure another established star, often opting to “run it back.”
Riley emphasized the need for change while maintaining the core structure of the team.
“Until you change the way you go about doing the things that are necessary to win, whatever they are, those things you’re doing to try to win, if they aren’t working, you must change,” Riley said. “And so that doesn’t mean that change is a sinister word here… But we surely are not going to rip anything apart here.”
Exploring Draft Options: Zach Edey and Others
Beyond acquiring an established star, the NBA Draft presents opportunities to address needs such as backcourt depth and adding size. Prospective draftees include USC’s Isaiah Collier, Duke’s Jared McCain, and Providence’s Devin Carter, all of whom have started workouts with Miami.
One controversial but intriguing prospect is Purdue’s Zach Edey, a back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year. While he adds significant size (nearly 7’4″ and over 300 pounds), his fit with Miami’s typically fast-paced play is questionable. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony highlighted Edey’s strengths, including his ability to set screens and catch passes in the paint, but also noted concerns about his adaptability to NBA-level spacing.
“At any rate, the Heat have a lot on their plate this summer if they want to get back to the NBA Finals and ultimately win their first championship since 2013. Last season, they finished at the eighth seed for the second straight season, going 46-36 and being eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics.”
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