The Miami Heat managed to have a productive, opportunistic offseason, but it still seems like they're bracing themselves for something big. Unfortunately, it isn't at all clear what that something is, or when and how it's supposed to happen.
The Heat's hopes for free agency already look slim, and it's uncertain whether they have the assets (or assertiveness) needed to broker a blockbuster trade. While they have to be careful about plotting their next course of action since they so desperately need to get it right, it's also worth acknowledging that even inaction carries a price.
Time isn't waiting for the Heat to make their move. The longer it takes for Miami to figure things out, the farther this franchise could stray from the timeline centered around Bam Adebayo, by far the closest thing to a primary building block this organization has.
If the plan is to win with Adebayo, the clock is ticking to make it happen.
Adebayo turned 28 this summer. He's getting ready to start his ninth season in the NBA. He already holds prominent places on the organization's all-time leaderboards, having already logged the fourth-most minutes and tallied the fifth-most blocks.
While he's not old or showing any obvious signs of declining, he also isn't young or super likely to make dramatic improvements moving forward. He is who he is, for lack of better words, and that's a very good player (three-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive honoree) who could probably be the second-best player on a good team and third-best on a juggernaut.
He's right in the heart of his prime, though, and the Heat haven't exactly moved into their own. While the bargain-priced trade for Norman Powell qualifies as a win-now move, the selection of No. 20 pick Kasparas Jakucionis almost certainly was not. Miami has yet to find a new centerpiece in the wake of last season's Jimmy Butler blockbuster, and there are unanswered questions regarding this team's primary playmaker and backup big man roles.
This is a flawed roster, in other words, and it's not one that national pundits expect to make any kind of noise. That's fine if the Heat are taking the long view with this team, but again, the long view doesn't exactly align with Adebayo's personal clock.
Miami should have chances to aggressively add talent around him. The Heat have the right combination of sizable salaries, draft assets, and young players to attract the attention of any future-focused seller. It's all a matter of the Heat's willingness to swap out long-term flexibility for present improvements.
If the Heat want to give Adebayo a real shot at winning, that's a sacrifice they must be willing to make. He can't afford to wait much longer for them to provide substantial support.