The expectations for the 2024-25 Miami Heat’s postseason success drastically changed as soon as Jimmy Butler was traded. On February 5, Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors for a package that ultimately turned into Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson and a first-round draft pick.
All three of the new additions that Miami got in return have already had their moments. Mitchell has emerged as the team’s new starting point guard, and is averaging 10.1 points and 4.2 assists on impressive 54% shooting and 47% from 3-point range.
Anderson’s numbers and role haven’t necessarily popped out on the box scores, but he has shown that his IQ and versatility can provide an impact in spurts.
As for Wiggins, who headlined the trade return for the Heat, he has already gotten hit with unfortunate injury luck. He is averaging 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in only six games played for Miami. Even worse, his shooting efficiency has plummeted since his arrival— going just 37% from the field and 29% from deep in that span.
He is currently battling an ankle injury that has kept him out the last several games. There’s obviously still plenty of time for things to change for Wiggins, but the start of his Heat tenure has not been smooth sailing.
Although, when available, his defensive versatility in the wing position has looked intriguing. Statistically, Wiggins is one of the greatest individual perimeter defenders in the entire association.
Still, Miami has struggled since this inevitable blockbuster deal went down. And on the other side of things, Butler has thrived in a new system with the Warriors.
In the first nine games he has played for Golden State, they have gone 8-1 and climbed from the ninth to sixth seed in a stacked Western Conference.
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Butler’s numbers may not jump out at anyone either, but his veteran presence as a proven winner has been contagious in that locker room. He is still capable of taking over games, especially late in the fourth quarter, whenever it is necessary. Even at the age of 35 years old, Butler’s ability to slow the game down and make clutch two-way players is still as high as ever.
It is still early, but it seems like his acquisition has indeed moved the needle for that roster.
Do they have what it takes to truly make a legitimate postseason run? Only time will tell, but pairing ‘Playoff Jimmy’ to the likes of Steph Curry as running mate may pose as a pretty serious opponent for rival West teams.
So where do the Heat come into play with all this? Well, they just lost that playoff needle mover, and that comes with losing every bit of high postseason expectations. Perhaps with significantly less pressure, coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad can make some noise as yet another underdog group.
However, it seems like their ceiling could certainly be the Eastern Conference’s second round— at best. They just don’t have the talent, skill and experience to be considered a threat anymore. There is still that grit, culture and elite coaching within the organization, along with plenty of upside from the young core.
The issue is that with Butler gone, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have been forced into number one and number two options for the team. And that isn’t a role where they can excel at their best ability— at least not yet.
Both Herro and Adebayo are All-Star talents; no question about it. But they would fit significantly better as a number two and three option rather than the latter. That’s where Butler came into the fold come playoff time with this core over the years.
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Miami has the foundation with that pairing to still become a championship contending team again in the very near future. Can Pat Riley circle back on an All-NBA talent like Kevin Durant over this upcoming summer?
Durant is just one of several marquee names expecting to hit the trade and free agent market within the next two years. The Heat could very well be one more huge piece for catapulting back into the conversations with the best of the East.
But until then, this current campaign has seemed like a wash out. Butler’s messy trade demands and antics did not help with that notion.
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The Heat will be a #7 – #10 Play-In team any way you cut it. Too far behind surging Detroit to climb to 6th place and too far ahead of tanking Philadelphia to drop to 11th. May as well rest the veterans and play the youngsters (including two-ways) as much as possible. Sure would like to see what Stevens, Johnson, Larsson, Christopher and Ware can do together.
MIAMI HAS NOTHING TO LOSE!