It’s been an eventful first 48 hours of free agency for the Miami Heat organization. Despite reaching the 2021 NBA playoffs, it was unlikely that the Heat would retain the same group as last season.
They addressed two noteworthy areas — one which included a true point guard, and another being a reliable component at the power forward position.
After retaining their core following a 2020 Finals bout, inconsistency on both ends was uncanny, which prevented Miami from repeating a second year of deep postseason success. The talent disparagement, shoddy rotations, and an overall lineup misfit were the makings of a first-round sweep against the Milwaukee Bucks. Therefore, a revamped roster for next season was needed.
The Miami Heat added some key, yet expensive, pieces this offseason
To improve in such areas, it was cardinal for the Heat to add a third counterpart alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and after several months of rumors, a sign-and-trade was finally performed to acquire Kyle Lowry, a six-time NBA All-Star, NBA champion, and of course, a very close friend of Butler.
Miami also agreed, in principle, to sign Butler to a maximum extension worth $184 million over four years. While this keeps Butler on the books until 2025, extending him ensures that Miami remains an attractive free agent destination for the foreseeable future, all while having an established star who can echo the mantra.
The last major move for the Heat this offseason was inking restricted free agent Duncan Robinson to a five-year, $90 million deal — which will be worth around $18 million a year.
Previously, Robinson was expected to command between $22-25 million in the open market, but the elite sharpshooter ultimately chose to re-sign with the organization that gave him an opportunity and shaped him into the player he is today.