Last season the Miami Heat were the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. This season they took the Los Angeles Lakers to six games in the NBA Finals. It was a season where a complementary balance of veterans and youth fired on all cylinders.
Pat Riley and company need to keep the band together, rather than taking away from this roster for the sake of making an offseason splash.
Rumors began swirling before and during the NBA's restart in Walt Disney World that the Heat has become a hotspot for high-profile players in the sport and that they could look to make a blockbuster trade this season — such as acquiring Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers.
In a trade for Oladipo, Chris Paul, or any other reputable player that could be available via trade, the Heat would have to trade away some of their core youngsters; they must refrain from that temptation.
Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson alone make for an electric, versatile offense.
Adebayo is one of the most athletic big men in the sport. He puts the ball on the floor, finishes inside with conviction, and is a considerable passer. Meanwhile, he's a defensive backbone, blocking shots and defending well against isolation and frontline players.
Herro is a fearless scorer. He gets to the rim with blazing speed, stretches the floor (Herro shot 38.9 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season), and showcased the ability to be a go-to scorer in what was his rookie season.
Nunn's role was reduced in the playoffs due to health constraints. Before the NBA bubble, he was one of the NBA's best stories. Nunn, who spent most of the 2018-19 season in the NBA G-League, burst on the scene as a reliable isolation scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game in the regular season.
Robinson is an elite outside shooter. He shot 44.6 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season and 39.4 percent from distance in the playoffs. He stretched the floor for Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro to play in isolation, Adebayo to roam the halfcourt and was the team's premier sniper.
One could argue that at least two of the aforementioned players could be franchise building blocks on a rebuilding/retooling team.
The Heat were two wins away from an NBA championship. Based on Riley's success in South Florida, there's a strong likelihood that making an impact move is very much on the table. Taking into account the grind of a regular season, especially this past one, no team is ever a lock to return to the NBA Finals. That's what leads teams to make significant trades when they're in the thick of contention with an established roster.
The Heat did something we rarely see in the NBA: win their respective conference with one star, and that star averaged just 19.9 points per game in the regular season.
They're nowhere near a finished product. All of their standout young players have a mere season of playing starting minutes under their belt.
The 2019-20 NBA playoffs was the Jimmy Butler redemption tour. He made clutch jump shots, came to play on both ends of the floor, and it seemed to rub off well on his teammates. They thrived with different skill sets on both ends and, at times, plowed through their opponents (the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks).
Miami has a leg up on a handful of likely 2020-21 Eastern Conference playoff teams. They have stability on the sidelines with head coach Erik Spoelstra, a roster that, in the scenario, they stick with the heart of their 2019-20 team, has experience playing together for an entire season, and 21 playoff games as a group.
The Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers will have to adjust to new coaching staffs. Some powerhouses, like the Nets, have new lead scorers to get accustomed to.
This Heat team has been together for one season. In year one they won the East and put up a strong fight against the best star duo in the sport, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the best team in the West. If this is the preliminary product, what's the end product?
They're fun, infectious, and uber-talented. Most players took on a role they didn't hold before in their NBA careers. Butler was the clear-cut number-one option; Adebayo and Robinson were first-time starters; Herro was a rookie; this was Nunn's first crack at consistent NBA play; Andre Iguodala was more of a situational defender.
Meanwhile, Goran Dragic averaged 19.1 points per game in the playoffs, playing perhaps the best and most meaningful basketball of his NBA career. Retain The Dragon, a free agent this offseason, and go for the ring again next year.
They can acquire any star they want with their influx of sizzling youth and a first-round draft selection in next month's NBA Draft. Does doing as such have merit? It does. Is it the best use of resources? It is not. Furthermore, it would almost be a formality move. The outcome of the finals would be used as the strict justification and excuse for making a roster-altering transaction.
If Miami is bounced out of the playoffs in the first couple of rounds or simply doesn't win it all next season, then they can sign a max-level player in free agency/trade for a star. In the meantime, they can find out what this team can be, rather than bypassing its growth.
The championship pieces are already in place.
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