3 Miami Heat players who definitely shouldn’t be back next season

2. Max Strus

While it wouldn’t necessarily surprise us if the Heat opted to bring Strus back, the disappointing season he had, combined with Miami’s somewhat solid wing depth, makes it more likely than not that he will not be returning next season.

Strus was once a pivotal player for the Heat due to his incredible shooting ability. However, that wasn’t present this season, and it had a big negative impact on the team’s offense. While Strus was far from the worst shooter on the planet, there was a rather notable drop-off in percentages this season.

For example, Strus shot 41.0% from three on 6.5 attempts in 2021-22, but in 2022-23 he shot 35.0% from beyond the arc on 7.0 attempts per game. So despite taking more threes per game, his percentage dropped by six percent, which is not good.

Alongside this, Strus wasn’t all that great in the playoffs. While he absolutely cooked against the Knicks, he averaged 6.4 points against the Bucks, 9.4 points against the Celtics, and had two games in which he didn’t even hit a shot against Denver in the Finals.

With Strus entering free agency this season, the Heat simply can’t afford to pay him the money he likely wants to be paid. His services have been appreciated, but his time in Miami will likely be coming to an end.