Over the last few days, the Miami Heat's outlook for a bold 2026 has dramatically changed. With the contract extensions signed by Luka Doncic and De'Aaron Fox, it's difficult to be any level of optimistic about next summer if you're a Heat fan.
The worst part of this all is that none of this should be especially surprising.
This was the expectation. You'd have to be fooling yourself if you believed that Luka and Fox, two of the headlining names from the potential 2026 free-agency class, were going to hit the open market. Even less so after they were both traded this past season.
Now that Luka and Fox are officially off the market for 2026, you can't help but wonder where that leaves the Heat's plans for next summer.
The Heat's 2026 plans are over
If I'm the first to say this, let me be clear. The Heat's 2026 free agency plans are over. There are no more big names that will likely get there, especially considering I'm expecting Trae Young to sign a contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks soon, too.
At best, maybe LeBron James opts for free agency. But, at that point, I'm not sure LeBron would be looking to end his career with the Heat. Sure, he had some great seasons in Miami, but there would likely be many better options if it were to come to that.
If the Heat were hoping to get a chance to pitch a superstar free agent next summer, it's time to pivot from that mentality. The best-case scenario at this point for the Heat is that a superstar demands a trade between now and next summer.
That's what the front office has to be hoping for at the moment. But, then again, that's not exactly much of a plan at that point.
The Heat could still get lucky
But, hey, maybe there's still a way the Heat can get lucky with Luka or Fox demanding a trade or hitting the trade market at some point in the next few years. At least for now, that does seem extremely unlikely.
That's part of what made the Heat's entire plan to clear cap space for 2026, and possibly 2027, all the more risky. It does seem as if the 2026 plans must change immediately. And while there may still be some hope for 2027, the Heat should tread carefully and not place all their eggs in that basket either.