Earlier this week on the "Locked On Heat" podcast, my co-host David Ramil suggested that it’s time for the Miami Heat to “blow it up.”
This was a day after the Heat blew a 22-point lead to the Orlando Magic. Despite what anyone might think about that loss or what the Heat might be capable of, they have proven over these last three seasons that they are aggressively mediocre. The Heat seem poised for another finish as a fringe playoff team, and “Playoff Jimmy” hasn’t been seen since 2023.
If this is truly all the Heat are and could be, then maybe it is time to blow it up. That doesn’t just include trading away Jimmy Butler, but also Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. As David said, for as good as Adebayo and Herro have been, none are capable of being the No. 1 option on a championship team.
That’s the sort of player the Heat need, and right now they don’t seem to have a way of acquiring that player.
So what would blowing it up look like, and how can the Heat take a dramatic step back in order to get on a championship path?
The following is my step-by-step crack at the thought experiment.
1. Trade Butler to the highest bidder
Whether or not the Heat are serious about trading Butler, there’s a market for him. According to various reports, the Warriors and Suns have serious interest in acquiring him. The Lakers, Rockets, Nuggets and Spurs have also come up as potential destinations. Discretely or not, the Heat should be fielding calls and considering offers. It’s not a guarantee the market will be as bullish after this season. The Warriors, Suns, Lakers and Nuggets might not be as desperate. Teams like the Rockets and Spurs could turn their sights to a younger star like De’Aaron Fox. The Heat should know by now that they have to strike while the iron is hot.
The Warriors might be the most desperate of the group to upgrade their roster, but it’s difficult to build a trade that meets Miami’s requirements. Even if the Warriors include Jonathan Kuminga, the Heat would be forced to deal with Kuminga’s next contract. That doesn’t create the cap space the Heat need, and Kuminga doesn’t project as a No.1 scorer on a playoff team.
Instead, I’m looking at Houston. When general managers go on the record to talk about how they aren’t going to make any major changes, like Rockets GM Rafeal Stone did in a recent radio interview, my antennas go up. That’s a lot of needless public posturing that could be seen as an attempt to maximize leverage.
The Rockets could argue they are a piece away from making noise in the playoffs. They also have the contracts that make a trade worthwhile for Miami. Here’s a deal that clears more than $65 million off Miami’s books for next season:
Houston gets: Butler and Terry Rozier
Miami gets: Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, Jeff Green, Cam Whitmore
The Rockets could include some draft compensation and a young player like Jabari Smith Jr. and/or Cam Whitmore to sweeten the deal. I’m a Whitmore fan, so let’s throw him into the deal.
2. Maximize Tyler Herro’s value
Herro is having a career year that could see him earn his first All-Star nod. He’s no longer an inefficient microwave scorer. With his revamped shot chart, he could help nearly any offense. To trade Herro now would be a jagged pill to swallow, considering that he’s finally blossomed. But this is a full teardown, remember?
At 24, Herro would have considerable value. The Heat should ask for multiple draft picks in return. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a ton of picks, and a need for a playmaking guard who can space the floor. They could send some chunky contracts and multiple firsts, including Miami’s own top-14 protected 2025 pick that makes a deal cleaner.
Oklahoma City gets: Tyler Herro, Alec Burks
Miami gets: Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, 2014 first (via Miami), 2026 first, 2028 first
3. A new home for Bam Adebayo
If the Heat were to make Adebayo available, the Heat would get calls from 90% of the league. There’s no shortage of teams looking for a versatile, world-class defender with Adebayo’s playoff experience and leadership skills.
The Heat can’t trade Adebayo until the summer since he signed an extension before the season, but imagine the San Antonio Spurs pairing Adebayo with Victor Wembanyama in their front court. They’d instantly become the league’s most fearsome defense.
The Spurs are in control of 36 draft picks over the next seven years. For an All-NBA caliber player like Adebayo in his prime and under contact, the Heat could realistically ask for five or more firsts in return and restock their draft capital for the foreseeable future.
San Antonio gets: Bam Adebayo
Miami gets: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, 2025 first (via ATL), 2027 first (via ATL), 2027 first (SAS), 2029 first (SAS), 2030 first (via DAL).
What remains after blowing it up
In this scenario, the Heat would have traded away four players during the season and acquired six while shedding more than $6 million in payroll. The Adebayo deal is completed in the offseason.
If the Heat exercise their team option on VanVleet and let him become a free agent, then waive Duncan Robinson’s partially guaranteed contract, the Heat can create $50 million in cap space.
Before signing any players, the roster would be:
Guards: Lu Dort, Keldon Johnson, Isaiah Joe, Cam Whitmore
Forwards: Harrison Barnes, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson
Centers: Kel’el Ware, Kevin Love
The Heat would have added eight first-round picks, including two in the 2025 draft, and cap space to sign potential All-Star free agents like Brandon Ingram, Myles Turner and Julius Randle. Although my recommendation would be signing players to tradeable/expiring contracts and staying below the luxury tax, then waiting for the summer of 2026, when the free agent class could include Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Jaren Jackson Jr., Aaron Gordon and others.
The Heat could spend the 2025-26 season developing young players and trading veterans like Dort, Barnes and Highsmith to teams for more draft compensation.
Final word
Of course, this scenario wouldn’t guarantee anything and would mark an extreme step for any organization – let alone one so averse to tanking like the Heat. There’s no guarantee of drafting a generational prospect or signing a free agent like Luka Doncic, but it would signify a clear path.
Even if I wouldn’t necessarily be on board with taking a wrecking ball to the roster, the Heat do need to concoct a plan that suggests there is a clear direction. However extreme, changes need to be made.