(Photo via Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat are looking to make changes, potentially personnel and talent wise, after a lackluster 2024-25 campaign filled with Jimmy Butler drama and inconsistency.
After Pat Riley’s end of season press conference, the need for that change was reassured by the team’s longtime President.
Despite the fact that Miami earned a trip into the NBA playoffs by winning out of the play-in tournament as the 10th seed, they were dismantled in the postseason. The Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in very convincing fashion—putting a nail into the coffin with two blowout victories to eliminate the Heat on their home floor.
Much like taking a gamble on a new roster move or a bold trade, fans are constantly weighing options and odds—some even explore sites offering perks like a no deposit bonus NZ to see what kind of return they might get without much risk. For the Heat, that gamble could come in the form of an aggressive trade or a full-on reset.
This was nothing that coach Erik Spoelstra could have fixed. It was deeper than any schemes or rotation tweaks. This team showed throughout this tumultuous past season that they desperately need a revamp more than ever.
Where can they ignite that spark? It could be easier to figure out much closer to training camp, but Riley and the front office have options and tough decisions to make in the very near future, at least until coming to more clarity on the state of the roster.
1. Going all in on the pursuit of Kevin Durant
The move that could give the Heat the best shot at getting back to contender status will be acquiring Kevin Durant. After being blindsided with trade talks by the Phoenix Suns at this year’s deadline, along with the failures of that Sun’s core on the court, the disgruntled star is expected to finally part ways. He will be one of, if not the most (depending on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation) coveted name on the market.
And there is already stiff competition for the 15-time All-Star’s services. In the most recent report from ESPN’s top insider Shams Charania, he noted that Phoenix and Durant’s business partner Rich Kleiman are sorting through trade options for his next and likely final destination.
The Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves are the teams with the most mutual interest, according to Charania.
It’s worth noting that any team that lands him would likely have him under contract to a new two-year max extension. On top of his already due $54.7 million, the duration of that extension would go through the end of the 2027-28 campaign and Durant’s age-39 season at nearly $175 million in total.
That would be about 80% of Miami’s cap for next season tied to Durant, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Miami has been linked to KD for years, and those rumors resurfaced aggressively again this year. Depending on Riley’s persistence in negotiations to make a deal happen, Durant would form an enticing fit alongside Adebayo and Herro to instantly be competitive again in a weak Eastern Conference.
2. Pivot to DeMar DeRozan and/or another quality piece(s)
Granted the Heat strike out in their Durant pursuit, there could be a serviceable back up plan on the table. Rumors have additionally linked Miami to DeMar DeRozan— another aging All-Star caliber player that Riley has circled back to for years.
In fact, the Heat in talks with DeRozan in free agency last year, and was even narrowed down as the two top options in his decision along with the Sacramento Kings. Miami’s financial situation at the time was much more strapped with limited assets than now, and the six-time All-Star ultimately wound up with the Kings.
Sacramento’s underwhelming season of their own is what has brought DeRozan’s name back on the market. He doesn’t fit their timeline, and likely would want to be in a better winning situation in his latter 30’s. It’s worth noting that there shouldn’t be nearly as many assets involved to acquire DeRozan compared to a Durant acquisition.
That paves the way for Miami to still have more flexibility to pull off another move to supplement a potential DeRozan addition.
Whether that comes in the form of a few new quality role guys, or one more significant rotation piece, would have to be seen. May be another All-Star caliber player shakes free, like Trae Young’s situation in Atlanta?
But Riley will have attractive pieces to utilize in even a backup plan, nonetheless.
3. Gap year for the summer of 2026
Would Miami really dare to “run it back” yet again? Speaking of those pieces, some of that includes coveted expiring salaries— primarily Terry Rozier’s nearly $26 million and Duncan Robinson’s contract coming off the books.
Robinson’s salary is only partially guaranteed, providing the Heat or any team who trades for him an opportunity to have him on the payroll next season for a $10 million discount.
On top of that, Andrew Wiggins has a player option for the 2026-27 season, so he could opt to test free agency a year from now and give Miami yet another $30 million to work with. If no other offseason route works out, the front office will surely contemplate a soft reset. But with that, comes wasting another year for each of Herro and Adebayo who are approaching their prime years of a win-now window.
Herro is also due for a hefty contract extension of his own come October, up to three years at nearly $150 million.
Committing those financial resources to Herro would be difficult to accept if the Heat are going to remain at the bottom half of the East with no real direction. Regardless, there’s assuredly mutual interest in keeping the homegrown All-Star in South Florida long term.
What do you want to see the Heat do this offseason? Let us know in the comments!
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The likely course is the gap year move. That’s because Riley is in such a hole he can’t dig out of. He can talk change but he won’t find many dance partners. Every trade discussed I find myself saying, why would the other team make that deal.
Exactly! Gap year is a perfect term. It’s not tanking but it’s also not selling the farm for a “possible” playoff run or a possible catastrophe.
Heat has young players to develop and needs to determine which ones they want to keep and which ones to trade. Miami also has to wait for several contracts to expire at the end of next season in order to free up enough money to lure a ss player.
I like gap year. In reality, that means 6-10 place and exit in first round. Which is exactly what we had in past 2 seasons.
I dont mind, if young players will play a lot more.
Who knows, they may actually be better than we think. There a few wild cards I want to see this summer and during the preseason.
Keshad Johnson
I think he has a chance of surprising everyone by demonstrating athleticism and two-way skills that will earn him a spot in the rotation.
Pelle Larsson
I see a potential two-way spark plug off the bench in the mold of Caruso or McConnell. If he can develop a reliable 3 point shot and continue improving his defensive game, he may be able to develop into a reliable rotation player.
Dru Smith
Before going down with his injury early in the season, Smith had brought stability and a flow to the team’s game. After his injury, the Heat lost it’s mojo and didn’t find it again until Davion Mitchell arrived. I think he can develop into a reliable, two-way back-up point guard.
Nikola Jovic
I think he has a ton of potential. What he lacks is maturity, additional muscle and weight, improved ball handling skills and a few more shots per game. He has the potential of being a solid rotation player or a starter.
Jaime Jaquez
Jaime is a better than average defender. His ball handling is average. His rebounding is average. What he must improve is his 3 point shooting and regain his confidence. He also has to add a few more moves to his game. If he is not hitting his 3’s he is very predictable and easy to guard. I see him as a possible solid rotation player if his game improves and possible trade bait if it does not.
Isaiah Stevens
He is a prototypical pass first, high assist point guard. He has yet to prove himself at the NBA level. I like his ball handling and passing skills. His offense is average. Unlike Mitchell and Smith, Stevens has a small frame and he could have problems defending bigger, more physical NBA guards. In the right organization, he could possibly develop into a solid back-up point guard.
Davion Mitchell
I don’t think Mitchell has reached his full potential. He has NBA All-Defensive team potential. He scored 10.3 ppg and had 2.7 rpg, 5.5 apg, he made 3.9 of 7.7 shots (51.4%) and 1.4 of 3.1 3 point shots (44.7%). If he increases his shots per game to 10-11, he may be able to average 15 ppg. I see him as a top notch back-up PG and an excellent starting PG, if Miami does not have an all star level PG.
I am also interested in seeing how well the starting unit meshes when they are given the chance to start the preseason playing together. Although I don’t have unreasonable expectations, I do think competition among the young players and veterans will be fierce. Who knows, we may have a better team than we thought and we may have one or more “diamonds in the rough” that will blossom during the season. If nothing else, it should be interesting.
Agree.
Jovic will get a real chance. As will JJJ. But, we will have to have tempered expectations as we won’t be likely to make the post season. .
I would rather watch the younger players have an opportunity to gain experience and develop their skills and confidence. They shouldn’t have to wait until the players on expiring contracts are gone before they can get meaningful minutes. Sitting them on the bench will stunt their development.
Excellent article I ran across regarding Davion Mitchell. Worth the short read. I sure hope Miami brings him back. The best stretch of his career was the 10 weeks he played for Miami, I’m pretty sure he wants to come back to play in Miami again next year and for the next few years.
The mid-level exception for 2025-2026 is $14.1. A max 4 year contract would cost $56.4M. I think 4 years for an even $50M ($12.5M per year), would be a good deal for both parties. Mitchell was paid $6,451,077 this past season. The 4 year contract would represent a $6M+ raise for Mitchell. Remember, Florida has no personal income tax. Other states, like California, have high personal income taxes.
https://allucanheat.com/heat-afford-breakout-player-walk-free-agency
middle of the road pg
TJ McConnell has a 4 year/$44.8M contract and he is strictly a substitute. Alex Caruso has a 4 year/$81.1M contract and he too is only a substitute. Mitchell is a natural back-up PG but will likely be used as a starter until someone better comes along. Some might argue that Mitchell is worth 4 years/$60M. I think 4 years/$50M is a good deal all the way around.
KD looks like he’s teaming up with Wemby.
Watching the finals I envy both teams for me that’s the way i want Heat to be built. But that’s just me. Superstar sweepstakes has been elusive for us. We tried to build from inside almost won it all and now we’re in purgatory partly coz of the recent drama. I just have a dilemma here guys…when can I wear my Heat merch again? Lol
Mia is in purgatory cause they overrate their own players too much. Waiters Tyler Johnson Hassan James Johnson Tyler herro etc etc. and bad trades by the FO Kyle terry Jimmy for Wiggins instead of a young up and coming player like kuminga etc etc. too many one way players not enough two way athletes like the two teams in the finals. What good is scoring 24 ppg if you give up 30
u always speak the truth tough truth but real
I can’t disagree with you hhh. The question is what is the best way to get rid of the players who are expendable, other than trades and waiting for contracts to expire. Under what process can Miami come out with the strongest team in the shortest period of time?
If we agree that Miami doesn’t need one-way players, can we also agree that some of them will be difficult to trade, short of attaching draft picks or giving them away for marginal players on longer term contracts? Teams aren’t exactly lining up to do Riley any favors. They don’t like being fleeced (e.g., Mitchell trade).
Note: If Miami does nothing other than re-sign Mitchell and Burks, it has 5 players with $65M+ in salaries who will be off the books by this time next year.
sga was gassed quality depth matters mathurin tj ob nesmith we got jjj jovic pelle dunc lifes not fair at times
Not sure how they made it this far when tbh he’s all they have and the only threat they have
chets overrated .jalen williams inconsistent.their defense is real though but so is indianas
That’s what a good defense can do to good offensive players.
ive been saying for years dunc is unplayable.give me 2 wayers all these players can score at this level or else they wouldnt be in nba
hate ripping on ty its not his fault he cant guard the 80 year old dinosaur doesnt know what the f he is doing
do u think ind does a herro for mathurin trade i wish they would
Mathurin is a role player. Herro is a gunner who would flourish as a starter in a system with a great defense and a playmaking guard., e.g., OKC, Indiana, Houston, New York (without big Crybaby Kat). Can’t have two one-ways on the court at the same time. My wife says Townes has one of those faces you just want to slap. 😂
who would u rather have?
Murray
ty or benedict
Mathurin again they look at scoring and nothing else, calling Ben a role player but not Tyler is crazy cause that’s what he is at best. I like to compare fga Ben in the reg season 11 fga compared to Tyler’s 15 and in the playoffs mathurin avg 6 fga per game lmao. Ofc Tyler gonna score more he’s shooting more shots.
Herro 23.9 ppg / 37.5 3pt% / 5.2 rpg /5.5 apg.
Mathurin 16.1 ppg / 34.2 3pt% / 4.5 rpg / 1,8 apg
Pick somebody else
u forget ty lets in as many pts as he scores u do realize defense is 50% of the game ?defesne wins championships.tyler herro wins u nothing sun nothing
Who is your choice to replace Herro’s scoring? Mathurin sure can’t. They are already #24 in scoring. How much lower do you think they should go?
MATHURIN cant why not did u see last game,if they played one on one mat would win 21 0.if x player takes 20 shots theyre gonna average around 20
Mathurin had 8 pts, 2 rebounds 0 assists and missed 3 fts in a row down the stretch. Like I said, pick someone else to compare to Herro cuz Mathurin is OK off the bench but isn’t starter material at all…maybe at Sioux Falls.
Hmm……
Murray 17.5 ppg/6.5 rpg/7.4 apg 39% fg
So by your logic pick somebody else right since scoring is the end all be all in your eyes. After me and hfl literally said he takes more shots so ofc he’s gonna score more except for when he faces actual 2way players. And where were those stats vs Sam Merrill dean wade and ty Jerome? Again you called mathurin a role player and so is herro except yall think he’s a number 1
I never said he is #1 so don’t include me with your y’all crowd.
Murray’s 2023-2024 stats were 22.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6.4 apg and 36.3 3pt %. He averaged 20.5 ppg in 2022-2023 and 21.1 ppg in 2021-2022. Last season was his first with the Pelicans, where he played both PG and SG.
In San Antonio, Murray was the primary PG and even notched 9.2 assists per game in the 2021-22 season. When he played in Atlanta, he played SG with Trae Young playing PG.
In summary, while Dejounte Murray has proven he can play both positions, his preference and most successful role appears to be as a PG, where he can utilize his playmaking and facilitating abilities as a primary ball-handler making passing to open teammates for assists.
Btw, Murray has been selected as an all-star and also selected to the NBA all-defensive second team. Furthermore, he led the league in steals one year. He is considered an elite rim attacker and was ranked 5th in the league in drives per game with 17.9 one season.
Like Mitchell, I think playing in Miami will unleash a whole new level of play for Murray.
In case you aren’t convinced, watch this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uff3b-mrw8A
I’m talking about the season that just passed and again give mathurin the same number of shots as herro and have him be a starter/no 1 option and he can avg 24 ppg and give you athleticism and defense. You’re talking about what Murray did 2 years ago and years ago with San Antonio while btw coming off an Achilles injury being 30 by the time he’s “fully healthy” from that injury. I thought you were for Herro getting traded now it’s who’s gonna replace his one way ability. Lmao the flip flopping shit you do
Hey, women aren’t the only ones entitled to change their minds. This is all just small talk to keep people engaged until it gets real on draft day and this summer. Hang loose. It’ only a game.
Mathurin had 8 pts, 2 rebounds 0 assists and missed 3 fts in a row down the stretch. Like I said, pick someone else to compare to Herro cuz Mathurin is OK off the bench but isn’t starter material at all…maybe at Sioux Falls.
i cant see herro getting 1 minute in the finals.these athletes would destroy him
caruso or giddy sun its close
Caruso or McConnell? They are both relentless. Miami has it’s own version, Davion Mitchell (if he is re-signed).
close so is caaruso giddy.tj is a spark.always kills us and is killing everybody he plays against.
That’s easy…Giddy. 14.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 7.2 apg. Then trade Herro for very good two-way SG.
yes your getting it now
I think it is most likely that the Heat go after trade 1 and trade 2 at the same time, and try to run a lineup of Herro/DeRozan/Durant/Bam/Ware next season, with Jovic and JJJ and picks as the bait, and Wiggins, Duncan, and Rozier as the matching contracts
on paper sounds great no way thats gonna happen
considering your screen name, you seem very unfamiliar with Pat Riley’s work
sports is what have u done for me lately.see the fla panthers.my name is hfl not prfl
Heat were in the finals two years ago. Sounds like it’s more of a “win the championship every year or i complain” situation
Plus multiple picks and Spo’s first born male child.
you’re talking about the guy that traded J-Rich and Whiteside for Jimmy Butler
Same guy who overpaid for Lowry, Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, James Johnson, Waiters, Robinson and others.
not sure what you mean by ‘overpaid for’ those guys. A lot of those guys he found in the g-league. I guess you can say he gave them big contracts, but it’s not my money, so what do I care?
Overpaying on one side limits your ability to bring in better quality players on the other. Miami has been hamstrung by bad contracts the past few years. It’s not your money but it is your team, so you should care how they are managed. Example #1, Portland.
You guys should be forced to spend some time watching a poorly run franchise like Portland, so you can learn to appreciate how good you have it in Miami.
Riley has proven again and again that he can pay top dollar and it never limits his ability to bring in more talent. The only time it costs him talent is when he doesn’t want to pay (D-Wade, Jimmy, etc).
But I agree, Riley is not afraid to hand out big money. It’s one of the reasons the Heat are in the Durant sweepstakes
Where do you think my name comes from? I followed the Suns up until they traded Dragic to Miami. I realized just how poorly they were operated and made a decision to move on. I haven’t looked back.
I give Riley credit where it is do. However, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have done better. Some of his bad trades kept the team from bringing in new players when opportunities presented themselves.
Nobody is forcing you to watch Portland. They suck!
P.S. It looks like Riley is thinking about making another big mistake by paying Herro $150M for 3 years. He’s not worth it. Miami is better off trading him while his stock is high rather than paying him and then waiting for him to become disgruntled and demanding a trade like “The Quitter” did.
Heat’s social media team unintentionally revealed Miami’s untouchable 5It’s clear who the Miami Heat is building around. (allucanheat June 11, 2025)
The Miami Heat’s social media team may have unintentionally revealed the five players whom the team could consider untouchable heading into the offseason. As the Heat’s social team continues to churn out offseason content, it’s quite interesting that much of their promotion revolves around five players – Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware, and Nikola Jovic.
with defense being emphasized more than ever herro aint gonna bring u anything worthwhile might as well keep him and play him off the bench 15 mins a game .keep him fresh for the playin tournament
Herro being untouchable is the reason Mia in this mess now, he’s Riley’s “son” and he loves him cause he’s “ignitable” except for when he plays against actual dawg athletes amen any wing player on the thunder/pacers etc etc I don’t get the fascination with him.
either do i he takes a ton of shots so ofcourse hes gonna get pts.he could not play for good teams with 2 wayers for sorry teams like the heat he can play
If Riley gives him a 3 year/$150M extension, he should be fired. I’ve said it before, Herro for Dejounte Murray, straight up and resign Mitchell and Burks. Attempt to trade one-ways and expiring contracts for younger players with potential and draft picks. Worst case scenario, wait for expiring contracts to come off the books next summer, then bring in a ss.
Michell, Murray, Wiggins, Bam and Ware should be able to hold their own on defense until Miami is able to bring in reinforcements via trade, draft or free agency by the trade deadline or next summer.
and extend him for 3 years/$150M?
Makes sense for me. First three are the best players in the team now and the last two with the highest upside. Those players hey covered backup PG position, starting SG position, starting PF position, starting C position, and backup SF/PF position.
Its clear where we need improvements:
starting level PG
starting level SF
backup C
The rest can be filled with young players or minimum contract players.
If we get one of those with draft (probably backup center) and one of those two via trades (it must be young player, not Durant), then we would have young and fun team. Not better then this year, but with some future.
The next year is a year for whale hunting.