Trading for a star is just the beginning of the Heat's offseason to-do list

After a tumultuous season headlined by the Jimmy Butler trade and suffering the worst playoff defeat in league history, the Miami Heat enter a pivotal offseason in which they will try to chart a course to return to contention.

From the draft and big-name trades, to rounding out the roster with more depth, here are the biggest questions facing the Heat this summer.

1. What are Miami’s draft assets?

The Heat have the 20th pick in June’s draft (via Golden State) and their own 2026, 2029, 2030, 2031 and 2032 first-round picks. They owe Charlotte a top-14 protected pick in 2027 (or an unprotected pick in 2028, if it does not convey).

In terms of tradable firsts, the Heat have two: 2030 and 2032. They can also trade the selection that make with the 20th pick on or after draft night, essentially making it so that they can trade three firsts this summer. They also have two future seconds available.

2. Can the Heat trade for a star?

After being outscored by a record 122 points in Cleveland’s first-round sweep, it’s clear the Heat need a major talent upgrade to the roster. 

“There are going to be a lot of changes this summer, knowing how the guy with the silver hair works,” Bam Adebayo said of team president Pat Riley. “Be prepared for that.”

Fortunately for the Heat, this could be a particularly busy summer for star movement. The league expects Kevin Durant to get traded this summer, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future will be the subject of speculation when his Milwaukee Bucks are eliminated in the playoffs. There are also questions about the futures of Ja Morant, Devin Booker and Zion Williamson in their respective cities.

The Heat have three tradable first-round picks and $65 million in expiring salary that can be used in a deal.

3. Can the Heat re-sign Davion Mitchell?

The Heat are expected to extend Mitchell his $8.7M qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent and give Miami a chance to match any outside offers. Mitchell would be on the books as an $8.7 million cap hold until the Heat negotiate a new contract or another team offers Mitchell a contract that Miami decides not to match. If Mitchell re-signs with Miami, his agreed-upon salary would replace that $8.7 million cap hold.

Mitchell has made it clear that he wants to remain in Miami.

“I always wanted to play for Miami,” Mitchell told All U Can Heat in March. “It's my culture, the way I carry myself, the way I play.”

The question is how much the Heat are willing to eat into 2026 cap space to retain Mitchell, who thrived after coming over at the trade deadline.

4. Does Tyler Herro sign an extension?

Starting Oct. 1, Herro is eligible to sign a three-year, $149.7 million extension. Those years would be added to the two years ($31 million and $33 million) that Herro already has left on his contract and keep him under contract through his 30th birthday. The deadline for that extension is Oct. 20.

“Everyone knows I want to be here long term,” Herro told the Miami Herald. “And I’m definitely excited to see what they have to say for the extension, and see if they want me here as much as I want to be here.”

If both sides wait until the summer of 2026, Herro would then be eligible to sign a four-year, $206.9 million extension. He’d become eligible to sign a five-year, $380 million supermax extension if he’s named All-NBA next season. 

Herro put together the best season of his career, playing in a career-high 77 games after Pat Riley challenged him to be more durable before the season. He also averaged career-highs in points (23.9), assists (5.5), field-goal percentage (47.2) and 3-pointers made per game (3.3) in his first All-Star season.

5. What about non-star additions and free agency?

Because the Heat don’t have max cap space, the best route to acquire a star is via trade. But the Heat will have some wiggle room to add depth to a roster that badly needs more rotation-ready contributors. 

The Heat are $11 million below the first apron and $23 million below the second. The Heat could gain an additional $10 million in flexibility if they waive Duncan Robinson’s $19 million contract before July 8.

The Heat can sign players to veteran minimum contracts and can also use up to $5.6 million of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception without triggering the first apron hard cap. Potential unrestricted free agents that could be added the mid-level exception include Tre Jones, Tyus Jones, Dennis Schroder, Luke Kornet, Jake LaRavia, Clint Capela, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, Taurean Prince, Bojan Bogdanovic, and others.

They also have three trade exceptions ($7.3 million, $3.1 million and $2.1 million) and access to the $5.1 million biannual exception. Using any of these exceptions hard caps them at the first apron.