The Miami Heat were simply out-classed by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals. While the ultimate makeup of their roster remains unknown as a new season begins to dawn, rest assured the reigning Eastern Conference champions will have a date in late February circled on the calendar regardless of where Damian Lillard is playing.

The Heat will get their first chance for revenge against Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Nuggets on February 29th, 2024, when Miami visits Denver at Pepsi Center, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Other 2023-24 marquee matchups revealed on Friday include an October 26th tilt between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns, marking the first time LeBron James and Kevin Durant will square off since 2018. A day later, the Heat will be in Beantown to battle the Boston Celtics in a rematch of 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.

The NBA's full schedule for 2023-24 is set to be released in the next week. Its opening-night slate was revealed on Thursday, though, pitting the Lakers against the Nuggets and Golden State Warriors against the Phoenix Suns. The league's five-game Christmas showcase was also leaked on Thursday.

The Heat's roster remains in a state of flux as the Portland Trail Blazers slow-play trade talks for Lillard, who's made abundantly clear he only wants to play in South Florida since requesting a trade out of the Rose City earlier this summer. Miami doesn't just need Lillard to better challenge the Nuggets for a title this season, but also to offset the impact of departures by playoff stalwarts Max Strus and Gabe Vincent in free agency.