With another early ending to a second straight difficult Miami Heat campaign comes plenty of basketball fan’s favorite time of year: the NBA offseason.
And there will be a lot of work to be done for Pat Riley and the Heat’s front office. First and foremost, this comes with something that hasn’t been done in years, even well before this season’s Jimmy Butler drama went down—deciding the direction.
Does Miami completely blow it up, and even dangle All-Star’s Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo to do so? Is a more softer rebuild on the horizon? Or is a re-tool around the Herro and Adebayo duo to bring in a much needed true star going to take place?
Well, as long as Riley is still at the helm, expect the latter. He, along with players and coaches on the staff, would like to get back to contention status as soon as possible.
Riley just turned 80 years old only a few months ago. A rebuild doesn’t only go against what the Heat franchise despises to do, but it doesn’t align with the legendary Riley’s timeline.
Luckily, this summer’s trade market may have some star options shake free— possibly headlined by Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant.
Unlike what some of the national media admits, Miami does have assets.
Riley can surely build a respectable trade haul to bring in a disgruntled star.
It is worth noting that the most mutual and realistic fit for Miami should be Durant. Both parties side’s have circled back on eachother for several years now.
The Heat will have an intriguing trade package headliner in Andrew Wiggins— along with several expiring salaries, young players and up to three tradeable first-round picks and pick swaps to put on the table.
Regardless of Durant’s age of 36, this is not an aging star like Butler. This is a Hall of Fame generational superstar that has yet to show signs of a decline.
The 15-time NBA All-Star and two-time champion is coming off a season where he posted 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and two stocks (steals and blocks) per game. Additionally, Durant did this on elite 53/43/84 shooting splits. He is still more than capable of completely moving the needle.
His fit in the Heat’s lineup would be seamless alongside Herro and Adebayo. And it would provide coach Erik Spoelstra with a much needed proven closer at the end of games.
As much as Antetokounmpo also is clearly enticing, there are more hurdles involved to pull off such a deal.
For starters, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar has yet to express an interest in being traded, despite the rumors already circulating. He is also right in the middle of his prime years at the age of 30. A package for his services could likely include parting with one of Herro or Adebayo, which would only open more holes in Miami’s lineup.
The only possible way a deal could get done without them would be Antetokounmpo demanding “Miami and Miami only.”
Even then, Heat fans know all too well that type of request is far from a guarantee.
Durant’s timeline aligns with both the Heat and Riley’s, giving the organization a legit shot at returning to the top of the Eastern Conference as quickly as possible. He would provide a three-four year window that would instantly elevate Miami.
Which star do you want to see Riley be aggressive in acquiring? Let us know in the comments!
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
- 2025 NBA Draft: 4 prospects Heat should consider trading up for if they fall
- Davion Mitchell says joining the Miami Heat was a “dream come true”
- If Heat acquire Kevin Durant, sacrifices will need to be made
- Hanifan: Pat Riley was right not to pay Jimmy Butler, but the front office is still not absolved from criticism
- Miami Heat’s Big Board: Top college players they’re watching closely
jimmy butler is a solid #2 now i dont consider him a #1
or #3 on an elite team.
yeah hes old like we thought he was doesnt want to do the heavy lifting night in night out.on gsw hes a 2 there not elite.on boston 3 nyk a 3 cleve 4 minn 3 mia 1.
gobert is one of the least talented dirtiest players in nba but hes 7 3
Brooks another one. Green dirty too. Ant was mentored how to be a crybaby by Townes. I hate crybabies.
dramonds a loud mouth out of control player that should have been thrown out of the league when he stomped over some guys chest.that was like an assault forgot who he did it to but seems to go after whitesides of the world.goberts elbows all over the place believe thats who bam learned that from,brooks is just a roughrider built with the marcus smart duncan robinson charles oakley ud mentality..turtle was our #1 crybaby then 55took over he was looking for calls or acting like he never committed a foul,i dont see ant acting like that i just see him missing lots shots all of a sudden.
jimmys gonna wear down guarantee
tatum has gone from ss to all star,
OKC beat Denver 149-106! That’s almost as bad as Cleveland beat Miami. Speaking of #1 and #2 seeds, Cleveland and Boston are both down 2-0 after having their hearts ripped out twice at home. Warriors vs T’Wolves tomorrow, with GS up 1-0. Curry out with hamstring injury at least the next two games. I like the underdogs (Denver, Minnesota, Indiana and New York) this round.😁
pls sun comparing denver to mia is like comparing lebron to u know who55 .u need to make predictions at beginning of series not whenteams down 2 0 .i agree with your assessment but steve kerr is a friggin genius only coach that really gives a team an advantage. i like gsw and okc in west.hartenshtein can kind of zubac contain best player in world unlike our little bamela.i like okc to win it all there defense best in nba and have a bonafide ss.and lots dawgs including caruso.defense wins rings tyler herro teams win squat.
Dude, when did you corner the market on changing your mind. I didn’t predict who would win, only which teams I would like to see win. Plus, neither OKC nor GS are down 2-0. You still didn’t say who you like in the East. What are you… scurred?
boston cleve
i like the underdogs before the series ?
pats coming out friday do we really care what he says unless he says im stepping down
If he says he’s stepping down and recommending some guy named Sunman to replace him, I’m gonna shit myself.
Dude, I just received this anonymous first class plane ticket to Miami. What does it mean?
u got it wow.pat reads hhh is what it means.let me know the details i will contact my hhh bro rc and we are there hopefully ft laud airport 5 minutos from mi casa
date time airport?
Some place called opa-locka. I think its a chartered piper cub plane to save money. Not sure of time. Depends on turbulence and weather conditions.
going down there ill need some rc protection to pick u up .or maybe ill have an uber pick u up ill play it safe.life is precious achuwa.hhh me when u arrive
Meanwhile in Boston…two straight come from behind nailbiters on Boston’s home court.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Translation: I don’t particularly like NY but I like Boston even less.
20 pt lead at home unfathomable chokers.
Brunson and Bridges are closers. Both have big cojones when the game is on the line. Miami sure could use a couple of players like that. There’s a bunch of unrestricted free agents and players with options that may be available in the summer of 2026. See attached list.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2026
ufa bird f larry bird.no more just ufa,players with 3 years of service get maximum deal to incentivize them to stay with team,so the only ways to get ss is trade for them or ss is disgruntled and wants out.otherwise their team can offer them the most $$$.kind of eliminates the original ufa.and ss would go to the highest bidder?bridges is wiggins with cojones..brunson is a generational player only good gms swoop in to get those studs.who would have thought brunson would get this good.knicks starting 5 as good as anys.josh hart another great swoop in .og for barrett and knicks back up pg what foresight to pull that off.it takes a great gm to have a great team.i know a great gm when i read one fellows.i expect pat to step aside friday and announce sunman from hhh our new gm.i know pat will do the right thing friday at 1p.sun i want to pick u up at the airport whenever u arrive with that calif sunshine.maybe ill bring rc along for the ride.please pat the man knows the league the salary cap rules ufa rfa bird mchale parrish rules .theres no better person pat hes paid his hhh dues its time to have a man cooler looking than u silver slickster.
Thangya vera mush heat. If I can telecommute I’ll consider it. Otherwise, I’ll have to defer to RC with you as his #1 assistant in charge of scouting, community relations, public relations and extramarital relations.
rc is salary cap guy .hed make sure we are under the kitchen apron
max played great for about 47 minutes but that last minute was just terrible ,bad inbounds pass bad d not blocking out on missed foul shot max tries hard but again hes limited due to his lack of athleticism.
i dont think jimmy can d wade a team anymore
jimmys the maN now for a week i hope he plays like sht
ahahaha.. Indiana
Indy 2way athletes Mia Tyler herros.
Also I don’t feel bad for Donovan Bradley Beal Mitchell chose money over championships he’s not winning in Cleveland no matter how good they are in the regular season
not sure about that if they were healthy theyd beat indiana.i believe.
I dont know. They win, but they gave up 120 points. I would call it good offense, not good defence.
spider garland mobley hunter allen better than hali siakam miles nemhart methune.in my humble opinion.spider by far the best player hali 2nd best
anthony edwards face of nba he must be reading the clippings
ty jerome vs heat ty jerome vs indiana is why tyler not my herro needs to be traded while his value is as high as it will ever be
wow cleve in trouble wata a a game max played great until bonehead inbounds pass ty jerome has shown why he was on 5 teams of course vs herro and crew looked like all star.
Another blown lead. Wacky ending.
cleve had mobley garland out mitchell tried to will them to win but ind has lots athletes stole that game.cant believe ind won
the stroy of these playoffs.unreal finishes best playoff games ive seen in a while rc.so many crazy finishes
Antetokounmpo’s current contract with Milwaukee ($48.8M for 2025-2026) has four years remaining at a cost of $236M total ($66.8M in final year 2027-2028).
Durant’s current contract for $54.7M expires in 2025-2026. He is eligible for a two-year, $122 million extension from Phoenix this summer. This is the maximum the Suns can offer due to the “over-38 rule” in the NBA, which limits the length of contracts for players over 38.
I don’t think Miami should consider trading for either player this year. Especially if Miami has to put all it’s eggs in one basket by trading one or more starters, multiple rotation players plus most of their draft picks away. We have already seen what can happen when a team guts it’s roster and draft picks to bring in a ss. We have also seen what can happen if a player becomes disgruntled because their team is not winning or if a player with a huge contract sustains a serious injury.
Miami is better off waiting until after next season (when several current contracts expire and the players on rookie contracts can be further evaluated and retained, traded or released) before looking around to see which elite and rotation players are available. They do not currently have the depth to be an elite team, even if they sign either player. Furthermore, it’s hard for me to see either team trading their star player to Miami without Miami including either Bam or Herro plus several draft picks in the transaction. Finally, there are several teams with far more assets (players and draft picks) than Miami to bargain with (OKC, Houston, Memphis, Boston, San Antonio and Utah to name a few).
I understand if others have different opinions.
The cleaning the house would be the most satisfying approach right now, but not the best for a team. So I m with you.
This article pretty much says what poor and, yes, old, rc has been getting a little beat up for lately – that it is possible or likely that Riley will not wait until 2026. It’s not whether I agree or not, just that it has been the Heat’s pattern most years. But i would admit that, unlike some here, I am not against getting KD. As Dan says, he is still a force to be reckoned with. And, the potential of moving off both the Rozier and Duncan salaries would be very good.
But what about Herro? I have always liked him (but not his d) and after his best year yet, his value has never been higher. I would be fine if he stays. He doesn’t pout like quitter, always plays hard, and tries to improve each season. But a little nagging voice in my head keeps referencing upcoming extension talks (he still has 2 years on his contract, but can start talking extension this season). I mean my victory parade buddy hfl already doesn’t want to pay him his $30 million. What happens when his agent asks for $40-50 million? Stay tuned. News at 11.
Ty is the exact opposite of russ .he can shoot it better but russ does everything else better.would u want ty or older russ.i say older russ impacts winning more
Lol! You’re kidding. Westbrook at 36 for Herro? Put the pipe down unless they include draft picks.
For reference Tyler herro has absolutely pouted and bitched and complained about not starting amongst other things quit no but he definitely did the other things when his name was in trade rumors a couple of years back his game went to absolute s*** and the dame thing was before the season and never materialized. Revisionist history I guess cause I remember different
Yeah, you do remember it differently. You should check again. He said that he thought he deserved to be a starter. That is not pouting and bitching. Riley called him out at the end of last season, and as opposed to the quitter, he spent more time in the gym and had his best season.
His game went to sh after the Lillard trade that didn’t happen? He improved slightly on the previous season with 21/5/4 and had the best 3 point shooting of his career, 39..6%
Ok herro your still not good, you couldn’t get by Sam Merrill or dean wade while real athletes making them unplayable. Also when your name was in trade rumors you played like shit just because some don’t remember or hold you to such a high standard they tend to forget things lmao. They praise your numbers but on the defensive ends you give up just as many and sometimes more
ty with fresh legs can get by anybody but he wears down either gets injured or loses his legs by end of year.i say hes a 20 min player to maximize him the best.so hes fresh come the playin season.his stats went downhill in second half to much wear and tear on his body,in the first half of season he was really ballin and playing acceptable d.but come later in the season legs are gone and his game goes downhill
right now would denver be better with russ or ty?
Russ was bounced around the league in past years, several of his stops was a compete disaster. He is not that bad at the moment, but thats not a reason that should be in Miami.
not that bad how bout been very good in the playoffs..maybe anybody that plays with joker can look good.
KD is one of my least favourable players. I dont want him in Miami.
Miami with him in lineup wont be a good team, as wasnt Nets and Suns.
how was he in gsw
Steph, Klay, Draymond and the boys would make Dion Waiters look good. KD was an idiot for leaving GS. Could have had 3-4 more rings. He would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven. He:s nothing more than an entitled mercenary.
GS would make me looking good, not only KD.
he wanted to try to win one with him being the lead dawg.bad decision .for his jewely collection
That’s what I said. He preferred to rule in hell (be the top dog in some hellhole like Phoenix) rather than serve in heaven (behind Steph in the Bay area).
In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the famous line “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” is spoken by Satan after his rebellion against God and expulsion from Heaven. This quote encapsulates Satan’s pride and desire for power, contrasting his rejection of servitude in Heaven with his ambition to rule in Hell, even if it means ruling in a place of torment.
GS won a lot without him, he didnt won anything outside GS.
kds a top 10 player possibly all time .bams a top 1000 player all time
Plenty of context though. The Brooklyn disaster with Kyrie and Harden wasn’t Durant’s fault. He still played at an elite level, the Nets were the #2 seed and they were a toe away from taking down the eventual champion Bucks. The Suns sold the farm for Durant (Bridges, Cam Johnson, and FIVE draft picks) and then sold the house for Beal. That team was doomed no matter how well Durant played. Durant’s still been playing at an elite level. He’d be a welcome addition to play alongside Bam and Herro, just as long as we don’t gut our team to get him.
Bam or Herro would be a part of any trade for KD, plus several draft picks. That might mean immediate gratification for Riley and some of the fans and long term misery for the rest of us. If the dude were to get seriously hurt, the Heat would be screwed for years. No thank you.
bench major problemo need athletes dont care if they can shoot just stopem from scoring shooting with benchies always hot and cold thats why their benchies
Another interesting article. I don’t agree that the Heat needs a closer this year, while several expiring contracts are on the books. One year from now after two drafts and expiration of 4 or more contracts makes much more sense.
“Heat have all the evidence necessary to determine direction after Jimmy Butler trade. Miami needs a closer.
Miami went 12-21 after the Butler trade, including an embarrassing 10-game losing streak and ranking in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency during that span. It was good for the longest skid of coach Erik Spoelstra’s career.
More importantly, they were 14-26 in clutch games on the season, and 3-12 after the trade. The Heat lost a league-high nine games when leading by at least 15 points.
The Miami Heat’s biggest offseason priority should be pursuing a star capable of closing out games.
There’s already a structure in place with Spoelstra, Herro and Adebayo. Adding a true number one option capable of closing out games is what can get this franchise back to contending status as quickly as possible.”
https://hothothoops.com/2025/05/06/building-the-miami-heats-most-competitive-trade-package-for-the-next-star/
25 other teams can use a ss to close.they dont grow on trees.theres not that many that can d wade a game over,jimmy is past his prime a good #2.sunman comes up with these ideas but theres only few avail greek kd and thug ss ja ,i think we are going to have to accept mediocrity for a bunch of years or just blow it okc up and wait 5-10 years to be good again.sports is cyclical we are trending downward heat bros lets be realistic.good news is we still have eric reid to keep us entertained to a degree
Several free agents in 2026. Don’t give up hope just yet.
unrestricted?
Unrestricted and player options. Pretty impressive list.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2026
Another good article. This one is what to do with Terry Rozier. Makes sense.
Heat should avoid trading Terry Rozier this offseason for head scratching decisionMiami knows they need to ditch Rozier, but it needs to make sense.
https://allucanheat.com/heat-should-avoid-trading-terry-rozier-this-offseason-for-head-scratching-decision?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
terry has little more on his mind sun
giannis not coming here he might like warm weather like greece but unless bam is in trade forget about it sunman.
tyler herros defense is a problem might not be #1 but its up there.#1 is no ss.no 2 no dawgs.no 3 pat riley no 4 too many whitesides no 5 tys d.to many to go on ill stop at 5.dunc wont be on team so no more dunc d posts unless referring to bad defense,.
This is an excellent article on what we’ve been discussing for a while. What is wrong with the Heat and what can be done to fix it? Worth the two minute read.
1. Tyler Herro’s defense isn’t the biggest problem
2. The Heat can’t talk themselves into having depth
3. They need a No. 1 scoring option to bring everything together
What’s next?
https://allucanheat.com/cavaliers-exposed-major-heat-roster-flaws-star-won-t-fix?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955