First, let's be clear: Bam Adebayo is a great player, and the unanimous leader of the Miami Heat on and off the floor. He's also their most important player, and the Heat are a better team when he plays like the five-time All-Defensive Team star he is.Â
As it stands, Adebayo is the Heat's No. 1 option, but it's also clear that that can't be the case going forward. They need a true No. 1 option; a dynamic star, and as good as Adebayo is, he's not dynamic, and his presence and impact haven't led to much winning in Miami lately.Â
With the widely expected changes and shifting soon to kick off in Miami over the offseason, their need for a true No. 1 option is more evident now than it has been since Jimmy Butler's exit. Miami has to find a way to recapture what it had in Butler, but even better. If they don't resolve that issue this summer, who knows what next season will look like?
It's all-or-nothing for the Miami Heat this offseason
Behind Adebayo, Tyler Herro is the Heat's next best option, especially on offense. However, Herro is more likely to excel as a team's No. 3 option, and given his cloudy situation in Miami at the moment, it's very possible he will be gone over the summer in any case.
The Heat have depth, and a good group of role players like Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Pelle Larson, among others (Wiggins' and Powell's futures in Miami are also in flux), who are solid in their current roles, but none have the capacity or ability to lead as a No. 1 option.Â
Miami simply doesn't have that, but they absolutely need it. Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the board to step into that role for Miami next season, provided a trade can be worked out with the Milwaukee Bucks. That said, the recent hiring of Taylor Jenkins, after Doc Rivers stepped down as head coach at the end of the regular season, might change things.
The Heat need to find a No. 1 option
What happens with Antetokounmpo remains very much speculative and hypothetical, but if the Heat try to take another swing this summer, and they land him, there's the answer to their No. 1 option problem.Â
Whether it's Antetokounmpo or someone else, this is a hole the Heat can't put off for another 82-game season. A dynamic, two-way scoring option would elevate the Heat significantly next season, even if they happen to lose a solid role player or two in the process.
The other option, already rumored and linked to the Heat, is Kawhi Leonard. Considering his outstanding year this past season, take that version of Leonard and put him on the floor with Adebayo, Wiggins, and others, and it would create a version of the Heat fans haven't seen in a long time.Â
Any move the Heat make for a star this season will likely be criticized for what and how much they'll need to give up to get that star. That said, the Heat have backed themselves into a dark corner and must scrape their way out. If they can solve their No. 1 option problem, they'll be putting a great deal of distance between them and that corner.
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