Maybe we were all wrong about the Miami Heat's plan to get back on the path toward championship contention. Instead of potentially making a big move in 2026, there's an argument to be made that the Heat's bold plans for the future could revolve around 2027 instead. If that's the case, it will make many already impatient Heat fans that much more restless.
That's because the free-agent pool for 2026 is already beginning to drain. Add in the likelihood that Luka Doncic and De'Aaron Fox will sign extensions later this summer, and there simply won't be many options on the table for the Heat.
But in 2027, that could be much different.
The 2027 free-agency possibilities
Again, much of this could change with extensions and trade demands between now and 2027. However, there's a chance that Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Ingram, Michael Porter Jr., and other notable players could hit free agency.
History tells us that not all these players will hit the open market, but there's at least an outside chance that they do. And if that is indeed the case, it would make even more sense for Miami to carry its financial flexibility into 2027.
Or, at the very least, leave themselves open to anything - and everything - between now and then.
The Heat just need to put themselves in position
And that may be the plan for the Heat. At the very least, this front office must put itself in a position to jump at one of these opportunities. Assuming the Heat wants to find a path toward acquiring a star player in the next couple of years, going down this path with one of these players is the way to accomplish that.
It's understandable that the acquisition game has changed in the Association. But with the Heat slowly getting control of their draft future with every passing day, the possibility of landing a star player (via trade or free agency) gets that much more likely. By next summer, they will have plenty of flexibility to include 3-4 and perhaps more future first-round picks into trade offers.
That's something they haven't had the luxury of doing in a very long time.
So if the Heat needs to go the trade route to acquire a star player in the next two seasons, they should be perfectly positioned to pull that off.
At the same time, it wouldn't hurt to also have the financial flexibility to add a player in free agency, especially in the event a big name like Giannis Antetokounpo decides he'd much rather test the market in two years to have complete control of his future.
In many ways, it does seem as if this could be the path the Heat needs to take in an evolving NBA.
Even with the possibilities that may arise in 2026, it's probably a much safer bet to assume the Heat may have to wait until 2027 to make a big splash.
Because of their past success, you can only predict that something big is coming for the Heat franchise. The question is, will it come as soon as 2026, or would it be better to plan for the summer of 2027? Either way, one thing is clear: the fan base needs to be prepared to practice some more patience. It may not be what fans want to hear, but it could be the truth about this team's future.