GM Strongly Questions Miami Heat NBA Finals Run In Bubble

The Miami Heat only have two remaining players from the team in 2020 that made one of the strangest runs to the NBA Finals. It ended with losing to the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the "bubble" season in Orlando.

LeBron James led the Lakers to a 4-2 victory against the Jimmy Butler-led Heat. The only Miami holdovers from that year are Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.

The fact the season finished without fans in attendance continues raise questions about its validity. Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey even said it came with "an asterisk" during an interview with The Athletic, which celebrated the five-year anniversary of the season.

"Had the Rockets won the title, I absolutely would have celebrated it as legitimate, knowing the immense effort and resilience required," Morey said. "Yet everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn't truly hold up as a genuine championship. Perhaps the lasting legacy of the NBA bubble is that the NBA should be proud of its leadership at both the beginning and end of the pandemic, even though the champion will forever be marked by an asterisk."

The appearance added to the legacies of Butler and coach Erik Spoelstra. It was the first of two Finals trips for Butler (he later made it in 2023). Spoelstra solidified himself as a coach who could advance without coaching teams that featured James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or Shaquille O'Neal.

It was even more damaging for James' legacy. Many question his fourth title because of the circumstances.

HEAT COULD STILL MAKE MORE LATE-SUMMER MOVE

The Miami Heat's offseason looks mostly complete as the team made multiple moves to improve the rotation this season. However, there is a player on the roster who seems likely to be moved one way or another prior to the beginning of the regular season.

Bleacher Report recently proposed a three-team blockbuster deal with the Heat dumping Terry Rozier's contract:

Heat receive: G Anfernee Simons (BOS), John Tonje (UTA), trade exception

Jazz receive: G Terry Rozier (MIA), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA), Neemias Queta (BOS), two protected first-round picks, 2026 second-round pick, trade exception

Celtics receive: C Walker Kessler (UTA), trade exception

Now, this trade has a lot of moving pieces with multiple trade exceptions and cash considerations being included. To put in simpler terms, the Heat are sending Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and a 2029 protected first-round swap for Anfernee Simons and recently drafted guard John Tonje. Simons was recently traded to the Boston Celtics in a trade involving Jrue Holiday.

The Heat added an elite scorer by acquiring Norman Powell earlier this offseason so why would Miami want to add another ball-handling scorer to crowd the backcourt?

"Powell, 32, will help, but he's in the last year of his contract and may not be a long-term fixture for the Heat," the article wrote. "Simons, 26, is younger and more capable as a lead ball-handling guard. Coach Erik Spoelstra can pair Herro with Simons, bringing Powell off the bench in a familiar sixth-man role. Along with prospective starting forward Andrew Wiggins, the rest of the rotation needs to support the backcourt defensively. Miami's commitment to Simons can continue with an extension, or it can wait until he's an unrestricted free agent in 2026. That's the gamble, costing the team a pick swap and Jaquez. Simons, who can play with or without the ball, would give rookie Kasparas Jakučionis time to develop as Miami's No. 20 selection."

Simons, a Florida native, has many similar skillsets to All-Star Tyler Herro. However, a big reason for Miami to do this deal is to finally say goodbye to Rozier. His expiring $25 million cap hit is still sitting on the roster's salary table and could be moved for multiple starter-quality players, including Simons. It is not ideal to part with Jaquez Jr. in a deal that somewhat seems like a salary dump but Miami also adds Tonje in this proposed trade. He was the Utah Jazz's second-round pick in June. He could be someone to develop in the G-League and hopefully become a future asset in the rotation.