What the Heat should do this offseason couldn't be more obvious

We’re less than one week away from the 2025 NBA Draft and less than two weeks away from free agency, which tips off on June 30 at 6 p.m. EST! The NBA Finals will be wrapping up on Sunday, but the real offseason fun is right around the corner!

As for the Miami Heat, they were mercifully swept out of the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was embarrassing–and a reality check for where this franchise is at. Changes are expected to be made, and one of those changes could be inserting 36-year-old Kevin Durant into the mix, as they have been directly afront his sweepstakes for the last several weeks.

However, should that be their primary route? Or should they go in a different direction? To me, while we know they’re always going to try and compete, in order to maximize their short- and long-term outlook, what they should do this offseason couldn’t be more obvious.

The Miami Heat should be acquiring assets and lean into their development, not the inverse:

Is Durant an all-time great? Yes! Is Durant still a really good basketball player when he’s available? Yes! Would he help the Heat become more competitive in the East? Also yes!

That said, pouring more assets into this cracked bucket–even for a player as good as Durant is, for a discounted price–wouldn’t be wise when multiple other moves would need to be made. Acquiring the aging star–who has a deep history of soft tissue injuries, which are more difficult to recover from at an older age–with follow-ups further depletes an already compromised war chest of assets … and at what cost?

Do the Heat still have assets of value? You could argue yes, but the value is in the eye of the beholder.

What if the Heat find another team not named the Phoenix Suns looking for cap relief? Or a team in need of shooting? Duncan Robinson could be an attractive asset for a rotation player and potentially a couple of second-round picks (possibly?). What could Haywood Highsmith (expiring) get you on the open market? Or Kyle Anderson? What kind of draft capital or young assets could you get for Andrew Wiggins? We saw what Desmond Bane could fetch–the Heat should be kicking the tires on exploring Tyler Herro’s market if they don’t extend him.

Again, the value and compensation are in the eye of the beholder. Nevertheless, the uncomfortable truth is that capitalizing on the market, when you’re devoid of assets, should be your primary goal if you’re in the position that the Heat are in.

For the most part, since Jimmy Butler arrived in the summer of 2019, the Heat have always found themselves in discussions–whether true or untrue–for acquiring more help (i.e., another star talent). The reason(s) were justifiable, since they made two Finals and three conference finals during his tenure. However, not only did they not have enough to climb over the mountaintop, but they never had enough to sit at the dinner table for acquiring another (super)star to place alongside Butler.

We all saw what happened after the Heat traded away Butler: They’re not close to contending.

Am I expecting the Heat to “re-tool” with a lean year? No. But should it be amid the circumstances, even in a slightly less competitive East? Yes.

Durant makes the Heat more watchable. He elevates the team’s offensive output, which has been a bottom-third unit for the last three years. Watching an all-time great donning red and black would be objectively awesome.

But we can also be honest about this team’s outlook, their direction and future.

If the Heat want to put themselves in conversations for a true star talent in the future, if you’re really the best developmental organization in the NBA, focus on acquiring and developing your young talent (Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson, Keshad Johnson), find ways to obtain more assets (draft capital, players on cost-controlled contracts) and buy low on players with legitimate potential.

While watching another play-in team may not be ideal, now is the perfect time to take one or two steps back to propel yourself forward, when you’ll be better positioned to take a swing on a star talent that aligns with Bam Adebayo’s timeline in the future instead of kicking that can down the road, when the future may really be bleak.