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The Miami Heat's 2023 playoff run was one for the history books. Entering the 2023 postseason, plenty of folks didn't even give the Heat much of a chance to advance past the first round, as they faced off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in round one. But the Heat made quick work of the Bucks, as they eliminated them in five games. And the Miami Heat then went on to beat the New York Knicks in six games and the Boston Celtics in seven games in the next two series to advance to NBA's biggest stage, the NBA Finals. The Heat became just the second eighth-seed in NBA playoff history to make it to the NBA Finals, joining the 1999 Knicks.
However, Miami's postseason run didn't end the way fans wanted it to: with a title. The Heat fell to superstar big man Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in five games in the NBA Finals.
The way in which the Miami Heat's 2022-23 season came to an end was certainly very disappointing, but a productive offseason period could have helped fans forget about the team coming up short in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, though, the Heat have lost more than they've gained thus far this offseason.
Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Cody Zeller all played important roles in Miami's Finals run, and all have found new homes with other NBA franchises via free agency. And the Heat's only notable offseason additions to this point have been veteran wing Josh Richardson and 2023 first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. It's a bit puzzling that the Heat haven't made any more notable additions via trades or free agency this offseason, considering they are light on depth at one very important position. With all of that said, let's look at the Miami Heat's biggest roster concern deep into 2023 NBA free agency:
Heat's biggest roster concern deep into 2023 NBA free agency
Lack of depth at the point guard position
Now that point guard Gabe Vincent signed with the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise in free agency and is no longer with the Heat, Miami is light on depth at the point guard spot. The lone classified point guard left on the Heat's roster is Kyle Lowry. And while a proven winner, it's arguable whether Lowry is a starting caliber point guard at this stage of his career, as he came off the bench for the majority of the Heat's playoff run.
If the Miami Heat can land Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard via trade — who allegedly has Miami as his preferred trade destination — then the team's point guard depth issue would be solved. Lillard is one of the best playmakers in the NBA and is also an elite scorer, as he averaged 32.2 points per game with the Trail Blazers during the 2022-23 regular season.
