It's hard to push back against the idea that the Miami Heat's front office is no longer amongst the elite in the Association. However, the bigger gut punch is when CBS Sports NBA scribe Sam Quinn said the quiet part out loud about the once-proud front office. In his words, "the league is changing, and it's not clear the Heat are changing with it."
But that's not even the worst of it. Quinn added an even more discouraging reality for Heat fans when he wrote, "The days of Pat Riley dropping his rings on the table and landing whoever he wants appear to be over."
That, in many ways, could be one of the bigger problems with the Heat's front office perspective.
The Heat's big problem
This doesn't mean that Pat Riley is no longer a respected figure across the league, but it does tell a story that the NBA has quickly changed, and there's no proof that the Heat have gotten that message.
It's part of the reason why the Heat has failed in their recent attempts to add another star via trade. They're using aged tactics that don't seem to work in today's game. The Heat scored big roughly 15 years ago, but the league has changed in a big way since then.
As Quinn notes, it's difficult to know if the Heat understand that entirely.
The true test for the front office
Whether or not that is indeed the case will be on full display over the next 12 months. Clearly, the Heat is moving toward making a big move in 2026. With the way they've operated so far this offseason, that appears to be their current plan.
They're preparing themselves to have full financial flexibility, and will be in a pretty strong place in terms of draft capital next summer. What they do next will truly tell us if they understand what it takes to land a star in the modern era.
Since LeBron James left in 2014, this is where the Heat's front office has consistently struggled. They hit gold during the 2019 offseason when Jimmy decided to hit free agency and handpick where he wanted to go next. But it's rare when stars hit free agency with how player movement has evolved.
If it wasn't for Jimmy deciding to force a trade via free agency in 2019 to Miami, it's hard to think where the Heat would be right now. Since Jimmy, the Heat has failed to land Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant (twice), Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, and Damian Lillard. Those are just a few star players the Heat pursued that come to my mind quickly. There are probably others.
The Heat appear to be in a great position to make a big move in 2026. The question is, can this front office close the deal this time around? That's truly what separates the good front offices from the great ones. And if the Heat want to get to that level again, they'll have to prove themselves once more.