Can Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo fuel another long playoff run for Miami?
Miami always finds a way. This should be the franchise’s slogan, because for the last decade the Heat have dealt with roster and superstar changes and still prospered regardless.
But now that belief took a bit of a hit with Miami’s failure to land Damian Lillard. Can it recover from that loss?
What’s new?
- Free agency stole from the Heat’s core, with Max Strus signing with the Cavs and Gabe Vincent with the Lakers.
- Miami used its first rounder on Jaime Jaquez Jr., a swingman who had a solid stint at UCLA and in Summer League.
- Kevin Love was re-signed as the Heat found value in his outside shooting and veteran leadership.
How far can the Heat go?
Even without Lillard aboard, there are no limitations for a team that reached the NBA Finals last season without him. You can doubt Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra or Jimmy Butler at your own peril.
1 player that must take a leap
Nikola Jovic. With Miami losing Strus through free agency, there’s an opening. Jovic ran into a numbers game as a rookie, but brings the skills to crack the rotation this season provided he staves off the competition.
In-Season Tournament
The Heat are in East Group B. Here’s a refresher on how the In-Season Tournament works.
Upcoming free agents
The Heat have 12 players who will be free agents in 2024:
- Kyle Lowry
- Caleb Daniels
- Kevin Love
- Haywood Highsmith
- Justin Champagnie
- Thomas Bryant
- Jamal Cain
- Jamaree Bouyea
- Josh Richardson
- Dru Smith
- Cole Swider
- Alondes Williams
Lowry will likely be entering his final season in Miami, because of his age and also the Heat will ultimately find his replacement. Love will probably be a year-to-year player for Miami at this point.
Miami’s full roster can be found here.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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