The Miami Heat are so far sitting on the sidelines to start the NBA offseason. That needs to change immediately, and decisively. But before they can act, they must first choose a concrete direction.
Are they all-in on next season and the immediate future, or is it time to strip everything down and begin rebuilding? That is the fundamental question facing the Heat. And they are no closer to answering it than when their season ended.
Sure, they were reportedly heavily involved in the Kevin Durant trade sweepstakes. But you know what? They didn't get him. And not only that, but their best offer for KD suggests they never really planned on landing him.
This isn't necessarily a problem. Mortgaging any part of your future for a soon-to-be 37-year-old entering the final season of his contract is risky business. You could easily make the case Miami not getting Durant is a blessing in disguise.
Except, this silver lining is only effective if the Heat make the most of their offseason. Right now, they are hovering firmly inside the in-between: not good enough to contend, and nowhere near bad enough to effectively rebuild.
The teams around the Heat are getting better
Miami could pass off its inactivity as hunky-dory if it wasn’t yet again at risk of falling through the cracks of the Eastern Conference. That isn’t the case.
Yes, Achilles injuries to Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard leave the door open for other teams. But other squads will be walking through those passageways before the Heat.
Neither the Cleveland Cavaliers nor New York Knicks are going anywhere. The Atlanta Hawks are better after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis. The Orlando Magic profile as absolutely terrifying following the addition of Desmond Bane.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers could be a force if Joel Embiid is able to get healthy—and they make the most of their No. 3 pick. The Detroit Pistons are on the come-up, and have plenty of flexibility this summer. Brandon Ingram elevates the ceiling of the Toronto Raptors, and team president Masai Ujiri is seemingly itching to make another move.
The Heat will invariably get lost somewhere in this shuffle if they keep the crux of this core intact. That is largely fine if they are pivoting into a gap year. Yet, while this scenario is appealing, it offers very little payoff. Miami is not Boston. It won’t exit a 2025-26 gap year with a top-10 superstar returning from injury.
Miami needs to choose between going all-in or starting over
This isn’t about insisting the Heat choose a specific direction. It’s about them choosing any direction at all.
If continuing to scrap and claw in the Eastern Conference remains the plan, Miami is overdue for taking a big swing. Whether it’s targeting Jaylen Brown, LaMelo Ball, Derrick White, Darius Garland, Zion Williamson, or someone else not yet flittering around the rumor mill, the Heat need to have specific names in mind, and be prepared to go all out to get them.
Failing that, team president Pat Riley and general manager Andy Elisburg must hit the detonate button. Everyone other than Bam Adebayo should be on the table, including the extension-eligible Tyler Herro, in favor of draft equity, higher-end prospects, and future flexibility.
Regardless of the path they ultimately choose, there can be no more waiting—no more existing inside the in-between. Biding time is what got the Heat here, firmly planted in the bottom of the middle, lacking the semblance of any direction this franchise desperately needs, and the fanbase deserves.