Thunder and Mavericks
The biggest lesson the Heat can learn from the Thunder is that this is a new era of NBA basketball.
The Thunder's starting lineup age average is 22.6. You can see some of the inexperience with the core, but they're still so young and can compete with anyone. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and many more are competing at a higher level than some of the more experienced veterans. Guys are coming into the league at 20 years old and are making All-Star games at 22 years old.
This isn't to say the Heat should tear it all down and rebuild, but it does say something to have some of these younger guys whose playstyle fits more into the modern NBA. A guy like Isaiah Joe getting bench minutes is crazy when he'd be a focal point in the Heat's offense and more than likely would be starting. To the Heat's credit, they've nailed the Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic picks. Two solid young guys who are contributing now. These younger guys coming in now aren't development projects -- they're ready to compete!
The Dallas Mavericks showed that you can upgrade your team without it being a complete home run. Maybe the answer for the Heat this Summer isn't landing Donovan Mitchell but instead moving players that fit Spoelstra's scheme. Take the depth you currently have and try to expand upon it. Guys like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford were sitting on bad teams, just waiting for the opportunity to contribute.
The Mavericks showed that there are creative ways to retool the roster without landing a third star. Pat Riley believes Butler can still win them a championship without that third star, and if he genuinely believes that, he might take some notes from the Mavericks.