We're long past the treacherous 2023 summer that did not see Damian Lillard end up in a Miami Heat jersey. I felt my heart in my stomach when I got that "Damian Lillard to the Bucks" notification on my iPhone 12 mini. The Heat have made minimal efforts to acquire other stars since then, alienating some Heat fans with inactivity.
Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young is reportedly on the trade block, but the Heat doesn't seem eager to strike a deal on the walking 25-and-10 threat.
While many fans like myself believe the Heat should go after Young despite his shortcomings, it's up to the front office to decide. But if the Heat don't have worthy assets other teams are attracted to, there's only so much that can be done.
The rest of the league and the Heat front office seem to disagree on the value of some of these Miami Heat players—that may be why the Heat don't even bother trying to get disgruntled stars that hit the market these days.
I'll make it easier for the bosses upstairs. These five tiers make up the trade value for the 13 players on standard contracts with the Miami Heat. There was a time when Pat Riley said he'd only deal Tyler Herro for a future Hall of Famer. The premise of that sentiment remains true.
Only moved for a needle mover: Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro has been the subject of trade rumors throughout his tenure in Miami. He's the best talent on the roster that the Heat are willing to move. Herro's value was a topic of discussion during the Lillard fiasco. Fans and general managers around the league didn't think it was worth moving important assets to acquire Herro.
With that said, the Heat still aren't moving Herro unless it's for one of the players who immediately makes the Heat contenders. Some players linked to Miami over the last years, like Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant, are the type of returns we'd need if we move Boy Wonder. Miami is better off keeping Herro if scraps are the only thing they'd get in return.
Every team could use a high-volume 40% deep-range shooter. Teams don't necessarily want suspect defenders on heavy contracts who don't operate efficiently on offense. Herro can decide which guy he wants to be.
For his value to rise, the 3-pointers need to volcano, and the mid-range creation needs to decrease. Bomb away like the lethal shooter you are, and I promise there won't be any more question marks around your value.
Untouchable: Bam Adebayo
Bam Adebayo is the Heat's franchise pillar for many basketball reasons.
- Best defender in the NBA
- Growing offensive weapon
- Coachable
- Unselfish
The list of traits that make Bam Adebayo a perfect fit to lead the Heat into the future could go on for days, but there's an underated aspect about Bam that makes him untouchable.
Bam and Jayson Tatum have been spotted on social media websites several times. I could see how a Heat fan cringes at seeing our star player playing nice with our rivals' go-to guy, but I don't see it like that.
From a distance, we see all the relationships Bam has cultivated over the years—he seems to be friends with stars like Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Tatum, and many more. We've seen one of these relationships blossom into a full-on trade request to Miami from Lillard. There were reports that Mitchell strongly considered Miami because of Adebyo.
Bam is great at basketball, and that's the main reason we love him, but he will eventually help land us a whale. Miami will obtain a superstar talent through Bam's influence when it all shakes out.
Best Young Assets: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Nikola Jovic
The Heat are rolling stone solid with young talent, considering they haven't had a high lottery pick since selecting Justice Winslow with the 10th pick in 2015 (I thought he would be a game-breaking point forward).
Their trio of Jaime Jaquez Jr., rookie Kel'el Ware and Nikola Jovic is a nice nucleus, bringing different things to the table. The Heat are hoping for Ware to transition into a stretch big who protects the rim. That archetype is as valuable as it comes today.
In 2023-24, Kristaps Porzingis, Jaren Jackson Jr., Victor Webemnayama, Chet Holmgren, Myles Turner, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Joel Embiid were the only players to hit 1.0 3s per game and 1.5 blocks per game. Ware turning into a more aggressive Myles Turner is an ultra-valuable ceiling.
Jovic and Jaquez were contributing players last year. Jovic was the permanent starting four, and Jaquez had stretches where he looked like the third-best rookie. You could still argue that Jaquez was third after Webmanyama and Holmgren. Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Horners caught fire late, but Jaquez displayed his brilliant skillset all year.
If he puts it all together, Jovic has a shot at being the most valuable. His blend of skill, feel, and touch is a foundation for an All-Star. Jovic has buffed up since entering the league and will continue. His passing and shooting could make him an elite at this level. You only move these three future stars to win now.
Solid Veterans, Low Value: Terry Rozier, Haywood Highsmith, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love
This tier of player could also be categorized as "the others." Hall of Fame Heat legend Shaquille O'Neal frequently discusses the importance of having dependable role players who can step up in colossal moments.
Although their value may be low on the open market, these players are essential to their squads. The Heat's struggling offense has looked its best with Duncan Robinson on the floor. Robinson was part of the Heat's most efficient five-man lineup last year. His movement shooting is invaluable to what the Heat are trying to accomplish. Robinson knows and embraces his role.
Terry Rozier will have a much better season after adjusting to Heat culture. He's a certified dog and has heard the chatter about his standing amongst point guards in the league. The rim-dashing, slick-handling, tough shot-making Rozier will come up huge in a crucial spot. Book it.
After losing Caleb Martin this offseason, the Heat were fortunate to retain Haywood Highsmith. Highsmith should be called the locksmith the way he locks up bucket getters.
According to Bball-index, Highsmith's perimeter defense graded an A+ in 2022-23, and his overall defensive impact was an A in 2024. His hustle jumps off the screen anytime Heat hoops are on. His value would amplify if his shooting stroke was more consistent.
Kevin Love was a tremendous backup big for the Heat last year. The NBA champion spaces the floors, competes on the glass, and is still one of the best hit-a-head passers in NBA history. It'll be interesting to see how much Love still has in the tank. I thought about putting him with this next group, but he's a vet that could get run during the postseason.
Salary Fillers: Alec Burks, Josh Richardson, Thomas Bryant
Alec Burks very well may fall into that Kevin Love category of a solid vet who might see postseason minutes. Burks is a career 38% 3-point shooter-- that type of shooting is always needed in the playoffs, but Burks is still a question mark. We will see if he's still able to hold up defensively.
Josh Richardson is coming off a shoulder injury that ended his season. The 6-foot-5 swingman re-upped his $3 million salary over the offseason. He wouldn't command an astronomical return, but teams wouldn't mind getting Richardson back in a deal as a plug-and-play hooper.
Thomas Bryant is in the same boat. His two-year, $5.4 salary could complete a trade as a salary filler. We need him to play with a high motor next season. The next-tier player is in his own tier, and I know his motor will be fully charged in 2025.
What to do with Jimmy Buckets?: Jimmy Butler
The Heat are in a sticky situation when evaluating Jimmy Butler's value. He's in the last year of his three-year, $146.4 million deal before he has a player option and he could opt out in search of one more big payday before he rides into the sunset.
More context: Butler is approaching 35 years old and hasn't played over 65 games in two seasons. His effort in the regular season has been questioned over that time. Is the aging superstar worth north of $60 million annually?
If the Heat put Butler on the open market today, what return would they get? Maybe the Houston Rockets offer Jalen Green and some picks. The team trading for Butler would have money on the books and be close to contention. Butler is that "one piece away fit."
That's a decent return for Butler from the Rockets, but the fit between Green, Rozier and Herro would be wonky. That team does not immediately put you closer to a championship, and that's the Heat's top priority.
The Brooklyn Nets, who Buter has reported interest in, don't have anything attractive enough for the Heat to deal with. Other competing teams may not want to give the 35-year-old big guaranteed money, so who the Heat could get back that can help the team is limited.
If the Heat can't get anything of substance for Butler, they should pay him. Don't pigeonhole your franchise by giving him a five-year contract. A smaller, two-year deal with a player option is ideal (if he's willing to accept it).
Butler is in this tier alone because no other Heat player is in this predicament. He's too good to let walk for nothing, and his context would limit the size of return you'd get for the future Hall of Famer.
All Heat fans can hope for is that Jimmy plays his arse off in this contract year and recreate that magic that propelled them to the 2020 and 2023 NBA Finals this upcoming season. Anything beyond that stems from how Butler looks this year.
