The Miami Heat constantly find themselves, well, in the heat of trade rumors. As the February deadline looms, many expect the Heat to be major players during trade season.

After coming up short in the 2023 NBA Finals, Miami was in the thick of the Damian Lillard sweepstakes that dragged on throughout the summer. After the Bucks beat them out, the Heat eventually found themselves as a potential landing spot for Jrue Holiday, who initially went to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Lillard-to-Milwaukee deal. In the end, the Heat ended up with neither of those two stars as Holiday wound up getting acquired by the Boston Celtics.

Many saw Miami's offseason as a major disappointment, considering it wasn't able to make significant upgrades to improve its chances of finally getting over the hump and winning its first title in over a decade. But the 2023-24 season has gone well for the Heat so far, considering they've been dealing with plenty of injuries throughout the campaign. They currently hold a 19-12 record and sit in the top four of the Eastern Conference standings.

As far as the rumor mill goes, the Heat once again find themselves in play for a couple of disgruntled stars ahead of the deadline — Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. However, it seems like the trade noise surrounding Miami is a little more quiet this time around.

Nonetheless, the Heat should remain in discussions as the calendar flips to 2024. Pat Riley isn't one to just silently stand pat. Miami should still be worth monitoring over the next couple of months.

All that said, here are some predictions for the Miami Heat ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

The Heat don't trade for a star

As mentioned, Miami always seems to be in the mix whenever a star emerges in the trade rumor mill. NBA fans will hear the Heat's name pop up as a potential addition to the star duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. But I don't think Miami will trade for a big name. It seems like the Heat are confident that their current make up is good enough to get them over the top.

In a piece by Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Tyler Herro expressed his confidence in the group they have right now.

“Like Kyle said, we do have enough, no matter who’s playing and who’s sitting,” Herro said, in agreement to Kyle Lowry saying the Heat “have enough” to win basketball games. “As you’ve seen lately, we’ve been winning games. But in order to (get to) our ultimate goal of winning a championship, we’ll obviously need everybody.”

Though he missed over month due to an ankle injury, Herro has been magnificent for Miami this season. Save for the game he turned his ankle, Herro has scored over 20 points in all but one of his other 12 games this season. He has scored 25 or more points seven times, including three 30+ point outings. To recall, this is a guy the Heat missed throughout their unprecedented run to the Finals.

Herro was also the primary trade piece the Heat were dangling to acquire Lillard. And he could very well still be the main piece of any trade package should they go after another big name star. But Miami has been pleased with Herro's development this season. He is currently the team's leading scorer, averaging 24.2 points per game. The man is a gifted offensive talent and has, over the years, grown as a playmaker as well. He is also having his most efficient campaign yet, shooting a career-best 46.6 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Likewise, Herro has made great strides on the defensive side of the floor. Vardon noted in his piece about Herro's improved awareness and increased tenacity on defense.

Whoever star they go after will almost certainly include Herro in any deal. But with the way he is playing, it just doesn't make sense to make a drastic change such as trading away the team's top scorer.

Heat stand pat at the deadline and focus on the buyout market

Unlike in years past, the Heat won't be major players at the deadline this year. This team is clicking and the chemistry is at a high level right now. Pat Riley is smart to know not to rock the boat of a smooth sailing ship.

As Lowry noted, the Heat do have enough. Well, they've done enough to compensate for losing two starters in free agency (Max Strus and Gabe Vincent) during the summer.

Miami, as it has always done, found another gem in the draft with 18th overall pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. The UCLA standout is already a major contributor for the Heat in just his rookie season. Over his last 18 games, Jaquez has averaged 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three.

In addition to those two, the veterans Lowry and Kevin Love are still contributing at a high level. They have a solid mix of wings in Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, and Josh Richardson, all of whom bring varying strengths to the table for coach Erik Spoelstra.

Sure, they could use an upgrade at point guard, but Lowry is still a big part of what they are trying to accomplish. Though he may not be producing the same kind of numbers in years' past, his leadership, energy, hustle, and tenacity have fueled the team throughout the season.

With everything clicking, it makes sense for Miami to just stand pat and wait out whoever emerges from the buyout market.