- The Miami Heat won 44 games last season and made it all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals
- Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets beat the Heat in five games in the Finals
- The Heat will have a talented starting lineup while they try to acquire Damian Lillard
The Miami Heat had a special 2022-23 season. After winning 44 games in the regular season, the Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference playoffs to advance to their second NBA Finals in the Jimmy Butler era, which began in 2019-20.
Miami put up a good fight against the Denver Nuggets, but the Heat lost to the Nuggets in five games. Butler and Bam Adebayo are now 0-2 in the Finals.
Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard has requested a trade to the Heat. However, Portland and Miami aren’t close to making a deal. While Pat Riley tries to acquire Lillard, let’s take a look at who Erik Spoelstra will start in 2023-24.
Point Guards
Starter: Kyle Lowry
Reserve: Caleb Daniels
Kyle Lowry is due $29.7 million next season in the final year of the three-year, $85 million contract he signed with the Heat in 2021. Miami would like to trade the former Toronto Raptors star in a package for Damian Lillard.
If the Heat can’t trade Lowry, they are comfortable having him on the roster next season.
A six-time All-Star, Lowry averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 40.4% from the field, 34.5% from beyond the arc and 85.9% from the free-throw line. The 37-year-old put up 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in the 2023 playoffs.
Lowry has career averages of 14.6 points and 6.3 assists. The Heat lost Gabe Vincent to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, so Lowry — if he’s not traded for Lillard — will have to turn back the clock next season for the Heat.
Shooting Guards
Starter: Tyler Herro
Reserves: Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson
Tyler Herro has removed “Miami Heat guard” from his “X” bio because he’s expecting to be involved in the Damian Lillard trade. A Kentucky product, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists last season while shooting 43.9% from the field, 37.8% from beyond the arc and 93.4% from the free-throw line. He was third on the team in points per game, trailing only Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
The 23-year-old Herro signed a four-year, $120 million rookie contract extension with the Heat in October 2022. The Milwaukee native has career averages of 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 242 games with Miami. Herro broke his hand in the first round of the 2023 playoffs versus the Bucks and never came back.
Herro won the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year Award. If he’s not included in the Lillard trade, Herro will be the Heat’s starting shooting guard next season.
Small Forwards
Starter: Jimmy Butler
Reserves: Caleb Martin, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
One of the best players in the NBA, Jimmy Butler averaged 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists for the Heat last season while shooting 53.9% from the field, 35.0% from beyond the arc and 85.0% from the free-throw line in 64 games.
Butler is averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 231 games with the Heat. He will make the Hall of Fame one day, which is remarkable considering the fact that Butler was homeless at one point as a teenager.
Butler agreed to a three-year, $146.4 million veteran contract extension with the Heat in August 2021. The All-Star will make $45.2 million next season and $48.8 million in 2024-25.
Butler has a player option worth $52.4 million for the 2025-26 season. The Marquette product becomes extension-eligible again next offseason.
Power Forwards
Starter: Kevin Love
Reserves: Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith
Kevin Love played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Heat last season. He averaged 8.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 62 games while shooting 38.9% from the field, 33.4% from beyond the arc, and 87.9% from the free-throw line.
A five-time All-Star, Love isn’t the superstar he was when he was on the Minnesota Timberwolves and when he first got to the Cavaliers in 2014, but he’s a terrific veteran for a locker room and a player who knows what it takes to win at the highest level. Love has played in five NBA Finals and helped the Cavaliers win the 2016 title over the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
The Heat re-signed Love this offseason to a two-year, $7.9 million contract. The UCLA product has career averages of 16.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Centers
Starter: Bam Adebayo
Reserve: Thomas Bryant
Bam Adebayo averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for the Heat last season. The two-time All-Star shot 54.0% from the field and 80.6% from the free-throw line. He’s one of the top two-way players in the NBA.
Adebayo wants to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award next season. The star center has made four All-Defensive teams in his career.
Bam says he wants to win Defensive Player of the Year this season 👀
Check out Bam Adebayo’s full “To Inspire” episode here: https://t.co/FdrrTBPKAT pic.twitter.com/Agh1qQp1Ry
— Playmaker (@playmaker) August 15, 2023
The Heat signed Adebayo to a five-year, $163 million contract in November 2020. Pat Riley has labeled Adebayo and Jimmy Butler as untouchable in trade talks with the Blazers, who are dealing with Damian Lillard’s trade request. Lillard, who is close friends with Adebayo, has demanded that Portland trade him to Miami.
The Heat have been working on a trade package for Lillard made up of expiring contracts, three to four first-round picks, and one of the team’s younger players, with Tyler Herro going to a third team. The deal could potentially also involve second-rounders and draft pick swaps, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
