There are plenty of Miami Heat games where we commonly refer to them as being “stuck in the mud.” Well, truthfully, that’s been the epitome of their last four seasons, all resulting in play-in bouts.
This year, however, the Heat did not survive the play-in, getting bounced by the Charlotte Hornets. It snapped their six-year postseason streak, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many. It’s quite apparent that there’s a wide delta between where they are, and where they need to be to compete for a title.
Therefore, this offseason is a big one for them. Currently, Miami is viewed as a potential landing spot for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But it cannot afford to make this mistake.
Heat must have a Plan B if they can’t land Giannis:
Miami will star chase until it’s blue in the face; this regime — one of the most respected in the NBA — doesn’t know how to team build any other way. Time after time, they will whale hunt without a plan to not only acquire said star, but to pivot when the plans fall through.
Once again, the Heat are climbing that mountaintop, hoping for a different result. That’s the definition of insanity, although they have one extra first-round pick to offer — their No. 13 overall first-round pick.
Build through the draft:
Miami is playing a dangerous game by chasing Antetokounmpo, one of the league’s best when he’s healthy.
He’s a top-5 player. But Miami is in danger of forking over all of their assets — including their tradable picks — for the 31-year-old superstar.
While the Heat have done a very good job drafting players above their position, they have failed to recognize that modern contenders are built through the draft — not star-laden trades.
Finding a star in the draft is quite difficult, but Miami has one of the best developmental organizations in the NBA. And when they have built up enough ammo in the draft and through other necessary asset management, they’ll be in a much better position to take a large swing for, say, an Antetokounmpo-esque player, or a couple of key missing pieces, that become available.
Heat must nail their MLE:
Regardless of what the Heat’s course of action, they must nail whomever they target with their mid-level exception, which is worth roughly $15 million. They don’t have to spend all of it, but they will need to add more two-way depth to fortify their roster — with or without Antetokounmpo.
We outlined a few targets here. It’s not a deep free agent class, but it’s one that still possesses plenty of quality talent. Specifically, Miami should target a backup big and at least one versatile 3-and-D wing, bolstering their depth, especially if an injury or two pops up.
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Knicks have the best starting 5 in the NBA. Brunson, O.G., Bridges, Hart and Townes. Giannis and Bam can’t beat that. There, I said it. Just imagine how good Knicks would be with Giannis. Forgetaboutit.
This is preaching to the choir of rc, sm, hhh4l, and others here. And many will not like this article, will provide counterpoints, and refuse to accept that this approach may be the best approach for the team and long term success.