For the second time in a four-year span, the Miami Heat were the NBA's bridesmaid, not its bride. But it hasn't been for a lack of trying. In fact, the path the Heat took on their way to their defeat against the Denver Nuggets during the 2023 NBA Finals certainly was far from ordinary and they certainly have not taken the orthodox route to building a contender.

Sure, they drafted well with their picks at the tail-end of the draft lottery, with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro emerging as All-Star/fringe All-Star players. They also made good use of their franchise's clout in free agency, luring away Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry from other Eastern Conference teams with contending ambitions.

But they have managed to extract as much contribution as they could from players 29 other teams in the NBA overlooked. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, and Caleb Martin all had their moments during the 2023 NBA playoffs. However, Strus and Vincent will be entering unrestricted free agency, and the contract they might command could end up being too prohibitive for the Heat' liking. As it is, the Heat are over the projected luxury tax threshold, so re-signing those two might extract a heavier financial cost than they'd be willing to incur.

Even then, the Heat's developmental staff is right up there with the best in the NBA. So even with the potential of Strus and Vincent's departures, the Heat brass will have trust in their ability to bring out the best in whomever they sign in free agency with their limited resources.

With that said, here are three unheralded players the Heat could take a chance on as they attempt to get over the championship hump for next season.

Shake Milton

The possibility of acquiring Shake Milton for a bargain-basement price should give teams such as the Heat some sense of urgency to try and entice him to join. Milton may not have ended the 2022-23 season on the best of notes, as he found himself playing behind the likes of James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and De'Anthony Melton in the Philadelphia 76ers rotation. But when Milton did play heavy minutes, he was incredible.

Milton, when Harden was out due to injury, had a stretch where he averaged around 20 points per game on solid shooting splits. He is crafty with the basketball, and he has a bit of Jordan Clarkson in his game wherein he flummoxes defenders with herky-jerky movements and changes in pace and direction. These traits accentuate his soft touch from three-levels, allowing him to flourish as a lethal scoring option.

Milton may not command a contract north of the taxpayer mid-level exception, which projects to amount to a starting salary of around $7 million per year. Unlike Gabe Vincent, who may command a contract in the low eight-digits due to his contributions as a 3 and D guard who excelled in the playoffs, Milton doesn't exactly have the best defensive reputation, while he doesn't have the longest track record of flourishing in a huge role.

However, an integration within the famous Heat culture may be all Shake Milton needs to break out.

Yuta Watanabe

Yuta Watanabe emerged as a surprise contributor for when the Brooklyn Nets still had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the 2022-23 season. Playing the biggest role he's had for his brief career thus far, Watanabe became a lethal marksman from deep, helping space the floor for the likes of Durant and Irving as the Nets went out to a blistering start during the 2022-23 season.

Alas, Watanabe, much like the Nets, did not have the best end to the season. He had difficulties recapturing his early-season magic, and he later on found himself lost in the shuffle in the Nets' crowded wing rotation, playing behind the likes of Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O'Neale, and Cameron Johnson.

Thus, Yuta Watanabe certainly could be had for cheap in free agency. And that's where the Heat swoop in.

Watanabe showed immense potential to become more than just a standstill shooter; he was quick in attacking closeouts, and at 6'9, his huge strides allowed him to glide towards the rim with ease. He was also a willing quick mover of the basketball, helping the Nets play some sweet basketball early on in the year.

His two-way potential as a 3 and D wing (at 6'9, no less) should make the Heat front office salivate, especially if he could be had for not much more than a minimum deal.

Oshae Brissett

Oshae Brissett has fallen out of favor in Indiana. In a 21-game cameo during the 2020-21 season, Brissett showed immense potential as a switchable, three-point shooting big man who could block shots and help on the glass. But since then, Brissett's contributions have waned. He appears to have lost his touch from deep, and his efficiency has cratered.

But the Heat, could, perhaps, look at Brissett as a reclamation project. Brissett is a versatile 6'7 wing after all, and an immersion within the Heat's culture of hard work may do him a world of good. If the Heat end up bringing the best out of the 24-year old forward, they should have another playoff viable wing who could contribute in similar ways as Caleb Martin did this past postseason.