The Miami Heat have a core of players ready to run it back in 2022-2023. They have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in two of the past three years, and they almost won the Finals in 2020 before falling just short. Nonetheless, this is a team with plenty of talent on the roster.
But the Heat have a number of key role players set to hit the open market this offseason. P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris, Victor Oladipo, and Caleb Martin all set to hit free agency. The Heat need to maintain depth on their roster if they want to be successful next season.
But it became clear during the Eastern Conference Finals that they weren't quite an elite team. But they were close. So what does this organization need to do to become the clear cut East favorites?
Let's take a look at the biggest need for the Heat following the 2022 NBA Draft.
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Biggest Heat need after 2022 NBA Draft
The Heat selected big man Nikola Jovic in the 2022 NBA Draft which ultimately was a good decision. He may not win Rookie of the Year or anything of that nature, but Jovic possesses a high ceiling. But they still have work to do during the offseason.
Miami's core of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro are currently expected to stay in-tact. There have been rumblings about Herro leading a potential trade package in order to add another a star such as Donovan Mitchell. But the Heat are projected to keep the reigning Sixth Man of the Year for now.
There have been other rumors in reference to the Heat adding Kyrie Irving, which ultimately could lead to Kyle Lowry's departure.
But we are not here to focus on rumors today. Let's take a look at the facts.
Scoring depth
Jimmy Butler posted a one-man show at times during the postseason. Yes, the team was decimated by injuries. However, Miami needs to add consistent scoring depth.
The Heat relied on Tyler Herro to add that extra punch during the regular season. But his postseason struggles were costly. Bam Adebayo performed well, but he isn't a guy who is typically going to drop 25 points per game. And Lowry is more of a facilitator at this point in his career.
Many have made the claim that the Heat need to add another star. But I don't necessarily believe this is true.
The Heat need to add two consistent scorers to the roster. But they don't need to be high profile names. And there are plenty of options in NBA free agency this offseason.
For example, a player such as Gary Harris could fit nicely in Miami. Harris averaged over 11 points in 28 minutes per game for the Magic a season ago. Additionally, he shot over 38 percent from beyond the arc. I'm not saying Harris is the guy the Heat need to sign, but he is a quality example of the kind of talent they should be on the lookout for.
The Heat already feature a number of sturdy defensive presences on the roster. Resigning players like Markieff Morris and P.J. Tucker would help in that regard. Miami's defense nearly carried them to the NBA Finals during this past season.
But if they can find just a bit more consistency in terms of finding the bottom of the net, Jimmy Butler and the Heat might emerge as clear favorites in the East next year.
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