Speaking on the current state of the Miami Heat, one NBA executive suggested that too many people are counting them out in the race for the East. As the executive told Heavy Sports, the Heat are satisfied with their current roster and intend to stay competitive in the aftermath of their failed Damian Lillard trade pursuit.
“I think a lot of people looked at it as, ‘They did not get Dame, they’re going to the next name on the list,’” said the NBA exec. “That’s not the sense around them at all, though. They’ve said they’re happy with this group and that is how they’re approaching it now. They’re quiet.”
The Heat haven’t expressed an ounce of regret in how they handled trade negotiations this summer but they’re off to a pretty mediocre start so far with losses to the Celtics and Timberwolves this week. Unfortunately, finances are another issue for Miami considering they are only about $2 million below the new luxury tax apron.
“They’re going to be a tax team, that’s already set, they were prepared for that, they’re just trying to avoid the repeater tax. But they have an issue with the apron,” said the executive. “They’ve got holes to fill but they can’t because of that apron. So, anything they do, they’re going to want a little relief from that.”
What Went Wrong In Miami?
In traditional superstar fashion, Lillard specifically requested a move to South Beach before Blazers GM Joe Cronin decided to head in a different direction. Instead, Lillard was traded to the Bucks and it left the Heat as one of the summer’s biggest losers. And even despite trying to downplay their losses this summer, many fans and experts have them ranked behind their top competitors in the East.
The situation has all of Heat Nation wondering where things went wrong. For months, Miami was squarely in the lead for the 7x All-Star but it’s possible that Lillard pushed too hard in his quest to play with Butler. In the end however, there’s nobody to blame but Pat Riley himself. The Heat obviously did not want to pay a premium price for Damian, and they thought they could win the trade by lowballing their offer to include Herro and a few draft picks. Had Pat stepped up with a more appropriate offer, the Heat would be in a much better spot right now.
Jimmy Butler Is Ready To Run It Back
At 1-2 on the season, the early signs aren’t good on the prognosis for this season. Even so, Jimmy Butler isn’t losing any sleep over how the offseason played out. In fact, according to Butler, the Heat are still on track to win the title and avenge their Finals losses in 2020 and 2023.
To Butler’s credit, team newcomers like Jaime Jacques Jr. and Nikola Jovic will add some quality depth to the rotation. If Herro and Kyle Lowry can stay healthy, Butler may have enough to push the Heat into the top 6. No matter which way you slice it, however, the odds are stacked against this team after they let one of the top 75 greatest players ever get traded to one of their biggest rivals.
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