All U Can Heat Buffet: Where do the Miami Heat go from here?
With Kevin Durant deciding to form a super team with the Golden State Warriors, the Miami Heat and the rest of the NBA must ask themselves “Okay, what do we do now?” The Heat had a meeting with Durant, but the draw of Pat Riley and South Beach wasn’t enough. The goal, however, doesn’t change. The Heat want to compete for championships. The question now is, well, how do they do it? The writers at All U Can Heat weigh in on what’s next for the Heat this summer, and in the future.
Joseph Zapata (@JosephZapataIII): I honestly don’t know where the Heat go from here. I do not believe Whiteside and Bosh can coexist, Wade might leave, and I’m not sure if you can win a championship with both your guards unable to shoot threes. As of right now, the Heat are anti-Warriors. They have two centers, their guards are sub-par shooters, and they lack depth now that Deng and Tyler Johnson are gone. The Heat’s only chance at winning is trading for Westbrook, no matter the cost.
Malcolm Haynes (@realMGHaynes): It’s time to rebuild the team with a pseudo-tank for one year…but only one year. Let Wade go to the highest bidder. Either Bosh retires, or he plays and is traded for picks. Combine removing that salary with a rising cap, and the Heat target 2017 free agency to rebuild. Maybe Riley can form a ‘Miami Clippers’ with Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, and Hassan Whiteside. In addition, the Heat have their draft pick this year and it’s going to be a deep draft class. Perhaps the Heat can get into the lottery again and grab another quality young player.
Chris Posada (@CPoTweetsStuff): Maybe I’m just overly optimistic, but I don’t get the reason for panic. The Warriors have built a Death Star, and the Cavs still have LeBron, so the ceiling for was always going to be lower. Miami had no real shot at Kevin Durant, and only he was going to turn the tide, so the worst case scenario is actually something I’m comfortable with. Now the team can look to build with their young core and let them develop without any ball-dominant players getting in the way. This group actually fits better together than last year’s, as the kids can run with Goran Dragic. If things should fall apart, they could easily trade him for picks at the deadline, as his contract now becomes a steal.
The nonsense with Dwyane Wade is both disheartening and annoying, as the way the relationship has fallen apart might be in Miami’s best interest to let its franchise icon walk away. But if he stays, he becomes a luxury for the young group. Life after Wade was always approaching, so getting started at this point isn’t the worst thing (believe me, it’ll be fine). Tyler Johnson becomes a necessity, so matching his offer from the Nets is a must. Heat will also have their first round pick in 2017, plenty of cap space, and more clarity on Chris Bosh’s issues. Don’t believe the doom and gloom, the future is bright.
Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg): With Durant signing in Golden State, what’s the point anyway? I say just bring Wade back for a three-year deal, give him the Kobe Farewell Treatment, and maybe by then the Warriors have collapsed in on themselves and the Heat can re-claim the throne with Whiteside, Winslow and Richardson in their primes. With the albatross of Chris Bosh’s contract already against the cap, the Heat are not in a position of flexibility anyway. Give us a couple of years of fan service (hey, re-sign Mario Chalmers, Haslem and Birdman while you’re at it!) and then go back to chasing titles when the team is ready.