The Miami Heat are coming off of a 2018-19 NBA campaign in which they won just 39 games and missed the playoffs, but thanks to an offseason in which they added Jimmy Butler, there is hope in South Beach again.
The Heat entered the summer without any cap room, but they were able to finagle a sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for Butler to vault themselves back into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
Miami also traded Hassan Whiteside, opening up the starting center job for Bam Adebayo
There are still no guarantees for this Heat team, as plenty of holes remain, but Miami should at least be better than it was this past year.
So, here are four burning questions for the Heat ahead of training camp:
4. Is there Enough Backcourt Depth?
Outside of Dion Waiters, the Heat don't have any proven guards off the bench.
Instead, they have Kendrick Nunn, first-round pick Tyler Herro and fellow youngsters Jeremiah Martin and Davon Reed all fighting for playing time, and there is a good chance that neither Martin nor Reed even make the roster.
Unless one of those young guys steps up, Miami is going to find itself in some big trouble in terms of backcourt depth, especially taking into consideration Waiters' penchant toward getting injured.
Of course, the Heat can always make a trade, but it doesn't seem like a matter of whether or not they should; they might have to.
If Miami wants to make the playoffs, it is going to need some more stability in its backcourt.
3. What will the Heat do with Kelly Olynyk?
Trade chatter has surrounded Kelly Olynyk throughout much of the offseason, and given that Olynyk is a solid player on a solid contract, that chatter figures to continue into training camp and beyond.
Olynyk is set to make $12.7 million this coming season and has a $13.2 million player option for 2020-21, so if the Heat trade him at some point this year, they won't have to worry about him exercising his player option next summer.
Whether or not Olynyk picks up the option is iffy, because teams are generally becoming more stingy with the contracts they hand out to role players.
There is certainly a chance that the Heat end up trading the big man between now and the trade deadline, as he does have value as a floor spacer. Not only that, but he is a pretty underrated defender.
What Miami decides to do with Olynyk may hinge on its place in the standings, but if Pat Riley really has plans of luring a couple of max free agents next offseason, he will probably want to clear as much money as possible, so keep an eye on Olynyk.
2. Can Goran Dragic Stay Healthy?
This ties into the first point about the Heat's backcourt depth.
Dragic played in just 36 games this past year due to knee issues, and at 33 years old, it's fair to wonder if he will be able to make it through the 2019-20 campaign without injuries.
It also doesn't help matters much that Dragic has been on a slight decline over the last few years, as his efficiency has been down and his free-throw rate has plummeted.
When he is on the top of his game, there is no question that Dragic is a good scorer and is a guy who can make the difference between the Heat missing and making the playoffs, but will he actually be there? And how much does he have left in the tank?
If Dragic struggles at any point or suffers another injury, the Heat don't really have any other reliable options at the point guard position, and that has to be worrisome for head coach Erik Spoelstra.
1. Can Jimmy Butler and Dion Waiters Co-exist?
That brings us to the most prominent point that no one seems to be talking about: can Butler and Waiters play together?
Both guys are ball-dominant, and both are headstrong. Butler is not going to tolerate any nonsense from any of his teammates, and Waiters is not going to back down if challenged.
It didn't take long for Butler to grow frustrated with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, so the clock is already ticking on his relationship with the polarizing Waiters.
All Waiters needs to do is have a couple of inefficient games where his poor shooting hurts Miami (and that will happen), and Butler will be in his ear.
The difference is, Waiters is not laid back like Wiggins. If Butler goes at him, Waiters will bite back.
This just seems like a potential disaster waiting to happen.
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