Unlike a season ago, the Miami Heat get a head start on the offseason after being eliminated hastily by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo weren’t able to carry the Heat to their desired goal of the NBA Finals again, and the rest of the members of the roster didn’t contribute enough to win a game in the series.
The embarrassing showing from the team versus the Bucks goes to show that Pat Riley has his work cut out for him this offseason. If Miami wants to emerge as a contender next season, they’ll need to be active in free agency, and on the trade market. Depending on what the team decides to do with Victor Oladipo, the Heat could be more active on the trade market given the resources they have available.
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Almost every offseason, there seems to be at least one big name player that becomes a trade target in the offseason. The Heat would love for that to be the case this offseason so Riley can conduct his usual pitch to players on why they want to play in South Beach.
To give the team a nudge in the right direction, it would be wise for Miami to explore trade options this offseason. Among the players that could be made available, or a player that could force their way out, there’s one player in mind that would be a perfect addition for the Heat.