The Miami Heat are now in offseason mode after a tough loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the Heat clearly lost to the best team in the NBA after the Celtics’ play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Regardless, the Heat have to find a way to match the balanced offensive and defensive firepower in the NBA. Here is an overview of the Miami Heat’s offseason in 2022.
Guaranteed Salaries
Higher End
The good news for the Heat is that they secured their best players for next season including Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry. Obviously, some of these players didn’t have the best performances during the playoffs, but they were efficient throughout the year. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro also have guaranteed salary deals, but they are in different situations.
Obviously, Robinson has fallen out of the rotation with Max Strus taking his spot deep into the playoffs. He currently sits at earning $19 million per year, so Pat Riley will have to figure out a way to move him around. Still, the Heat do require a high level of shooting, but Erik Spoelstra has made it clear that it should come with sufficient defense.
Herro had a great year in 2022, finishing the season by earning the Sixth Man of the Year Award. However, he did not have great performances in the playoffs, which could be attributed to his injury. Robinson and Herro are great players, but the Heat’s front office has to make a decision on how to incorporate these players into the squad.
Lower End
Strus, Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith, and Omer Yurtseven each make just below two million per year, but it’s expected that the Heat guarantee their salaries for the 2022-23 season. Strus and Vincent have been impactful during the playoff stretch, and Yurtseven has displayed capable potential at the NBA level. Expect Yurtseven to compete for a spot in Miami’s rotation at the center position.
The Rest of Us
Outside of P.J. Tucker, the rest of the team are free agents and will likely test the NBA waters during the summer. Tucker has a player option, but it will be surprising if he lands elsewhere next year. Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon are the only free agents that could be considered by the Heat, but Riley could end up keeping Haslem for one more year.
Concluding Thoughts
Overall, it is apparent that Miami needs to improve on the offensive end to have a shot at a championship run next year. The Heat do have a good amount of cap space relative to other NBA teams, so getting players like Gary Harris, Tyus Jones, or Patty Mills could definitely help out. Finally, Miami also has a first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft, so they could strike gold with the right pick. It will be an interesting offseason to say the least.