With training camp set to begin for the Miami Heat, we can finally start to turn our focus to actual, real-life basketball on the court. It's been a long offseason for Heat fans who had to go through a ton of twists and turns, even if the end result wasn't anything that caused the NBA as a whole to take notice.
With that in mind, here are some of the most notable storylines from the offseason for Miami.
Miami doesn't land Kevin Durant
The single biggest offseason storyline Heat fans had was Miami's pursuit of Kevin Durant. At times, it seemed like the Heat were close to pulling off the blockbuster deal, but based on reports, they didn't want to give up what the Suns were asking, and in the end, Durant landed with Houston.
Kel'el Ware struggles to start Summer League
One of the key players that Miami allegedly didn't want to part ways with was Kel'el Ware.
If we are being honest, it made sense why Miami didn't want to give up the second-year center, given the lack of size on the roster, but it didn't help that Ware played so poorly to start Summer League that even Erik Spoelstra called him out.
Ware did recover for a solid last couple of games in the summer.
Miami drafts Kasparas Jakucionis, and he too struggles
One of the other defenses of not landing Durant is that Miami is trying to build up a young core of talent that can grow together.
On draft night, it seemed like the Heat got a steal when Kasparas Jakucionis fell to them with the No. 20 pick in the NBA Draft.
But then Jakucionis went on to have a poor showing over the summer, turning the ball over way too often.
Pelle Larsson becomes a summer hero
The one positive development from Summer League was the play of Pelle Larsson. He averaged over 15 points a game and looked confident driving to the rim.
Larsson then went over to EuroBasket and had a great showing with Sweden.
We'll see if his summer success translates into actual NBA success, but keep an eye on Larsson to get increased minutes in 2025-26.
Miami signs Norman Powell
The one notable player the Heat did go out and grab was Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Powell has been around for a while, but had a breakout season last year with 21.8 points per game while shooting over 40% from three.
He may not have had the splash of Durant, but he is a very capable scorer and a nice "under-the-radar" piece for Miami.
Haywood Highsmith gets salary dumped by the Heat
In a move that was essentially a salary dump, Haywood Highsmith was sent to Brooklyn in a trade that involved the only other trade piece being both squads swapping second-round draft picks.
Tyler Herro needs surgery
The single biggest blow to the Heat this offseason was the news that Tyler Herro had foot surgery and will miss at least the first month of the season.
Given the contract status of Herro and the need for all the offensive firepower they can get, this was not great news for everyone involved.