Miami Heat contingencies are the most important thing right now

The Miami Heat have found themselves in quite the predicament since the beginning of the offseason. Playing the field for a big fish in the proceedings, time seems to be slipping away from them on that front.

While a trade can be made at any point up until the deadline, they do need to take a roster into the season that they can believe in. So, what is there to make of what remains of the trade rumors surrounding them—or even their pursuit, as a whole, up until this point?

For any contender who believes they can pursue an All-Star, it’s a no-brainer that they should have joined and remained in the hunt. The Miami Heat are one of those teams and with both Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant.

Again, it’s still not impossible for Miami to snag at least one of them at some point, but a real contingency must be put into place, as it can be agreed on that those chances are becoming doubtful in the immediate coming days before the season.

The Miami Heat’s pursuit of another star is justifiable, extremely. However, they must also now prepare to move forward without getting that done.

With the Heat being unable to move forward in any single-team deal, adding a third, fourth, or perhaps a fifth team, has made things tricky. Aside from throwing in minimum-level players, the Heat’s initial trade package (if we’re excluding Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo) would require at least two of Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro to reach salary range.

They would also need to include a slew of draft picks, as well as unprotecting Oklahoma City’s 2025 pick, to enhance their trade offer. Now, keep in mind that it has been reported that Brooklyn considered Bam Adebayo a must-have in any deal anyway.

Though at this stage, it’s not entirely about what Miami or any other team can offer beyond what they already have, considering Brooklyn’s wants and other reported offers. It’s all about the level of urgency that Brooklyn, Utah, or any other team has to move their available star at this point.

That motive can change in just a matter of days though, which leaves a huge opening for why Miami needs to, sort of, stay involved.

If they shall fail in their pursuit, the “consequence” is that Miami will still retain their current assets and remain a top-five team in their conference. But—that must also be something they are preparing for.