Author: Monojit Mandal
The Miami Heat’s trip to the NBA Finals ended in disappointment as the team failed to clear the final hurdle after avoiding a collapse in the conference finals. The team now faces an off-season full of critical decisions to be made.
Despite their initial success, the Heat are now thinking about their future. Key players Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are under contract for next season, while Tyler Herro’s rookie contract extension is set to take effect, putting Miami in the luxury tax bracket. The question is whether the Heat can afford to face such financial constraints for a club that won just 44 games and finished eighth in the playoffs. This situation persists, despite the fact that they were only three wins away from winning the title.
It’s difficult to assess Heat’s squad. Is this the same club that finished the regular season with 44 wins, but struggled offensively, ranking 25th in efficiency and 27th in 3-point shooting? Should they be remembered as the playoff contenders who beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, the New York Knicks in the second round and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals? Notably, Miami had an excellent showing in the post-season, finishing third in offensive efficiency and 3-point shooting.
Reality is probably somewhere in the middle. Miami had significant setbacks due to injuries, resulting in 289 regular season games missed, the second highest number in the league. As a result, coach Erik Spoelstra was forced to continually change the starting line-up, employing 26 different combinations. Due to injuries to key players such as Herro, Butler and Gabe Vincent, the Heat had to use six different starting line-ups during the playoffs.
This summer, the Heat will face big decisions both on the basketball court and in the business world. From a basketball point of view, they must assess the value and influence of free agents Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Kevin Love, who were instrumental in getting Miami to the playoffs.
On the business side, the Heat are facing a franchise record salary of US$173 million, with Butler, Adebayo and Herro accounting for 61% of that figure. As a result, Miami is in the luxury tax zone for the second time in nine seasons.