Miami Heat

Despite being two wins away. Despite nearly shocking the sports world and winning the NBA championship. Ninety-six minutes of basketball. 

Despite winning last season's Eastern Conference championship, the Miami Heat are not the premier destination in the East that they should be. They've missed out on: James Harden, Marcus Morris Sr., Danilo Gallinari, and now a trio of high-profile buyout candidates in Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond. 

And despite that, the Heat remain confident in their future.

No one expected the Heat to dismantle the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, but they did. No one expected them to take the Los Angeles Lakers to six games without key players, but they did. After all their heroic efforts, they came up short. So it immediately created the question, what's next?

The Heat knew how close they were to winning a championship. The follow-up act would have to strike a delicate balance between trying to improve and just running it back with the same structure and identity. 

Jimmy Butler believed the Heat would have won the Finals if they were healthy. They wanted to run it back. Their first order of action was trying to get a sharp-shooting combo forward.

According to multiple team sources, they tried acquiring both Marcus Morris Sr. and Danilo Gallinari in the offseason but failed to do so. Morris ultimately ended up taking a big-money $64 million deal with the L.A. Clippers, and Gallinari secured an equally impressive $61 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks. 

That was the Heat's first attempt at trying to increase their championship odds, but it wouldn't be their last.

When James Harden forced his way out of Houston, Miami was at one point the front-runner. According to sources within the organization, the Heat ultimately fell short in the sweepstakes because they felt like they "shouldn't give up every single asset they had." They believed Houston's asking price was largely unrealistic. 

In retrospect, that decision may haunt them tremendously. Not only did the Heat not get Harden, but he created a superteam with the rival Brooklyn Nets—a problem that would bite them multiple times later.

Miami then attempted to fill its stretch-4 void with Blake Griffin, but he ultimately chose to join the same Brooklyn superteam that Harden helped create.

The Heat finally saw some success at the trade deadline when they acquired Victor Oladipo. According to a source in his camp, Oladipo made it very well known to his inner circle how much he wanted to play in Miami. He ultimately wants to play for the Heat long-term, but a source in the Heat organization said that the team wants to use the next three months to determine whether to keep him long-term. 

A source in Butler's camp said that his main target was Kyle Lowry during the trade deadline, but Butler is open and excited to see what he and Oladipo can do together. While Lowry was heavily linked to the Heat and preferred to be traded there, sources say that he never explicitly said "Miami or bust," and a deal would have been completed if there was that explicitness. Lowry had no issues staying in Toronto or playing in Philadelphia. 

The Raptors reportedly wanted Tyler Herro, or the Heat's young core without Herro, but that was a gamble Miami couldn't take without knowing Lowry's full desire to play there. Lowry reportedly wants a two-year, $50 million contract in free agency, and a source in the Heat organization told Bleacher Report that the Heat believe they can acquire him in free agency. Another source had mentioned Lowry's actual asking price was higher than the reported $50 million contract, and closer to $30 million a year. They did also agree that Miami had a great chance of signing Lowry in the offseason. 

Miami's next target was going back to finding that 4 man it looked for in the offseason. According to sources in both the Heat organization and Butler's inner circle, Butler was heavily recruiting LaMarcus Aldridge the moment he separated from the San Antonio Spurs. Butler's and Miami's recruiting efforts were so strong that the team seemingly emerged as front-runners to acquire Aldridge. A source in the Heat organization said the team wanted Aldridge to start alongside Bam Adebayo. 

Suddenly without notice, Aldridge chose to sign with the Nets instead. As the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reported, Aldridge's reason for joining the Nets was simple—they were in a better position to compete for a championship; the Heat's six-game losing streak simultaneously happening didn't help either. 

A source in the Heat organization revealed there was a level of shock within the front office when Aldridge decided to sign with the Nets, as for some time they expected him to sign with the Heat. The problem of not trading for James Harden returned full circle.

When a team makes the NBA Finals, it tends to attract veteran players for cheap. Players that would have typically chosen to play for the Heat in a heartbeat are finding themselves playing for the Nets. 

So why, all of a sudden, is Miami swinging and missing on available stars? Skeptics around the league already considered the team's title run a fluke, but now there's a shiny new superteam on top of it. Despite having the culture, a young core, a strong leader and being 96 minutes away from winning a championship, the Heat have lost out on plenty of free agents. 

Alas, they've won some battles this season, too—namely Victor Oladipo, Nemanja Bjelica and Trevor Ariza. With their assets, they will be in the mix for any potential big trade and can easily make room for another superstar. 

No matter what happens during the Jimmy Butler Heat era, one thing is clear: Their future is not bleak. The window for success will be open for as long as cornerstone pieces Adebayo and Butler remain in Heat uniforms. According to a source in the Heat organization, their plan for the future is to re-establish the winning identity they had in the bubble and to make it clear to all those watching that they are true contenders. That the bubble was no fluke, and that the Heat are here to stay.

That being said, if the Heat fail early in the playoffs this season, expect some major changes with most of the team entering free agency this summer, a source in the organization said. Pat Riley said that they will find "The Next Thing," no matter what or who that may be. Bernie Lee, Butler's agent, said on the Five on the Floor podcast in December that the team sold Butler on being in the best position to win a championship during his prime. He noted that whatever Riley and Andy Elisburg promise, they always keep it. They promised Butler a championship window, and they intend to keep that promise.

The one thing the Heat learned this season is that things don't always go according to plan. The Nets have eclipsed the defending Eastern Conference champions as the premier destination in the East. It's rare for a team that was two games away from an NBA championship to have to prove themselves all over again, but that's life for the Heat.

Adam Borai (@AdamNBorai) contributed to this report.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Wednesday that guard Victor Oladipo is expected to make his debut with the team for Thursday's game vs. the Golden State Warriors. 

Oladipo, 28, was acquired by the Heat ahead of last week's trade deadline for veteran guard Avery Bradley, forward Kelly Olynyk and 2022 first-round pick swap rights.

Oladipo came to the Rockets this season as a part of the giant James Harden trade, though his time with them didn't go particularly well. He averaged 21.2 points and 5.0 assists in 20 games with the Rockets but shot just 40.7 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from three. 

That followed a disappointing 2019-20 season with Indiana that saw Oladipo average 14.5 points while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three. 

The question with Oladipo remains whether he can return to his third-team All-NBA form from 2017-18 (23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG) or if he'll continue struggling to stay on the court—he's played in just 29 games this year, 19 last year and 36 in 2018-19 due to injuries—and posting inefficient numbers on the offensive end. 

For Miami, giving up Bradley, Olynyk and a pick swap was a relatively low cost to pay to find out. If Oladipo thrives with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and the Heat's supporting cast down the stretch, they not only improved their title odds in the short term but will head into this summer's free agency with a leg up on signing him to a long-term contract. 

And if he struggles, they didn't give up much for the rental. 

One thing's for certain—Oladipo came with the Dwyane Wade seal of approval, as Spoelstra told reporters Wednesday:

That's a pretty big supporter to have on your side, especially in Miami. The Heat will begin their own evaluation on Thursday night. 

Victor Oladipo's Miami Heat debut will have to wait, as the guard will miss Monday night's game against the New York Knicks due to a head cold.

Kendrick Nunn will also be out of the lineup as he deals with an ankle injury.

Oladipo was traded to Miami ahead of the 2021 NBA trade deadline, with the Rockets receiving guard Avery Bradley, forward Kelly Olynyk and 2022 first-round swap rights.

It marked the second time this season Oladipo had changed uniforms. He joined the Houston Rockets in the blockbuster four-team trade that was highlighted by James Harden heading to the Brooklyn Nets in January. He averaged 21.2 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 20 appearances during his time in H-Town.

The 28-year-old Maryland native has struggled with injuries since the start of the 2018-19 season with the Indiana Pacers, including a yearlong absence following knee surgery in January 2019.

He's most recently been sidelined by a sore right foot and ankle early in his tenure with the Rockets.

Duncan Robinson should see a lion's share of the minutes at the 2 until Oladipo returns to the lineup. It could also create some extra minutes for Andre Iguodala and Trevor Ariza as part of the wing rotation.

Miami has a lot of depth, which should help it overcome the two-time All-Star's absence, and getting him back to full strength for the playoff run will probably be the focus.

The Miami Heat have traded for Victor Oladipo, Trevor Ariza and Nemanja Bjelica over the past couple of weeks, but they apparently aren't done adding to their roster with fewer than two months remaining before the regular season ends.

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Saturday, there was "optimism" LaMarcus Aldridge would join the team after the San Antonio Spurs officially bought out his contract.

"Sources close to Heat reiterate to me and Anthony Chiang today that there remains optimism LaMarcus Aldridge will sign with Heat after clearing waivers," Jackson tweeted. Nothing 100 percent definite, but that remains expectation."

Jackson followed up by saying that Aldridge was expected to clear waivers later Saturday but that he may not sign immediately.

Later in the day, Aldridge's agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that his client agreed to terms with the Brooklyn Nets.

Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player, has averaged 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds over a 15-year NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers and Spurs. He's posted 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game for the Spurs but hasn't played since March 1.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich previously told reporters earlier in March that Aldridge and the team had mutually agreed to part ways. Popovich also made sure to call Aldridge a "great teammate" who had done "everything we've asked."

Aldridge is headed to Brooklyn to join a clear NBA title contender. If he chose South Beach, he would have joined a Heat team looking to win back-to-back Eastern Conference titles. However, Miami has struggled of late, losing six straight to drop to 22-24 in the East.

The top-heavy conference has created a situation where the middle of the pack is bunched together, though, so Miami is only two games back of the Charlotte Hornets for fourth despite currently sitting in eighth. The Heat will have to look elsewhere to bolster their team now, however.

When Andre Drummond becomes a free agent, the Miami Heat are reportedly going to make a play for the two-time All-Star. 

Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective Podcast (h/t NBA Central), the Heat are a team to "keep an eye on" after Drummond gets bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Cavs kept Drummond out of games since Feb. 14 as they explored trade options. 

After the trade deadline passed on Thursday without a deal, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Cleveland was going to work on a buyout with Drummond. 

The Heat have been connected to several potential buyout players, including Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge. 

Aldridge is a free agent after receiving a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Miami is a "front-runner" to sign Aldridge. 

The Heat acquired Victor Oladipo from the Houston Rockets and Nemanja Bjelica from the Sacramento Kings in separate trades on Thursday. 

It's unclear if a potential Aldridge deal would impact the Heat's interest in Drummond. Both players are centers, but they have very different styles of play. 

Drummond averaged 17.5 points on 47.4 percent shooting and 13.5 rebounds per game in 25 appearances with Cleveland prior to being held out of games. 

The Miami Heat are fortifying their frontcourt with the addition of Nemanja Bjelica from the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Kings will receive Moe Harkless and Chris Silva, per Wojnarowski.

The Heat entered trade deadline day nearly $18 million over the cap, so they had to make the money work with Bjelica's $7.2 million expiring salary. Together, Harkless and Silva earn $5.1 million this season, so Miami's cap burden increases slightly.

Bjelica will provide depth at the 4 behind Kelly Olynyk in South Florida.

Heat Depth Chart

• PG: Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, Avery Bradley
• SG: Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Avery Bradley, Gabe Vincent, Goran Dragic
• SF: Jimmy Butler, Avery Bradley, Max Strus, Andre Iguodala, Trevor Ariza
• PF: Kelly Olynyk, Nemanja Bjelica, KZ Okpala, Andre Iguodala, Trevor Ariza
• C: Bam Adebayo, Precious Achiuwa, Kelly Olynyk, Udonis Haslem

Depth chart via ESPN.com

Bjelica is suffering through a tough 2020-21 season so far. 

A regular member of Sacramento's starting rotation, he has moved down to the bench and watched his minutes fall from 27.9 per game to 16.9. That might help explain why he's shooting a career-low 29.3 percent from beyond the arc. When a player grows used to being a starter, finding a rhythm can be difficult when he has to adjust to life as a reserve.

For the time being, that problem could remain for Bjelica. But, by the time the deadline passes, his situation may have changed:

In general, one would expect the 32-year-old's performance to regress to the mean. He's a career 38.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc, so his production now is deviating significantly from the norm.

Going to Miami also represents an upgrade in not only teammates but also coaching. Head coach Erik Spoelstra might be able to put Bjelica in a better position to succeed than Luke Walton could.

This isn't a move that drastically improves the Heat but provides them with another solid floor-spacer and rebounder.

The Sacramento Kings are trading forward Nemanja Bjelica to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski reported the Heat will send Moe Harkless and Chris Silva to the Kings.

The 32-year-old, who is an impending free agent, spent the last two-and-a-half seasons in Sacramento. He has been an intermittent part of the Kings rotation in 2020-21 in part because of a back injury and a personal issue, averaging 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds.

The Heat will be hoping a change of scenery will get Bjelica back into form. He was shooting a career-low 29.3 percent from three-point range in Sacramento after hitting at over a 40 percent rate the last three seasons.

With the Serb not part of the Kings' plans moving forward, trading him to a team in need of some floor-stretching size always made sense.

The limited cost also made him attractive for Miami; a fully healthy and focused Bjelica would be a noticeable improvement to their rotation, but he didn't cost enough to cause any real waves if he disappoints.

The Heat are hoping Bjelica will help them turn around a disappointing season. They sit at just 22-22, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Miami Heat will be the first team to open a separate section in their stadium for fans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

The team will open two sections in the lower bowl beginning April 1, reserved for fans who can show proof of their CDC vaccination card and have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days. In the section, masks will still be required, but groups will only be separated by one seat, per the report.

Miami has allowed fans since the end of January. The team has been using dogs trained to detect COVID-19 to screen fans before they enter AmericanAirlines Arena. 

While the Heat will be the first to open the vaccinated sections of the arena, other teams have similar plans in the works, per Reynolds. The NBA informed teams last week that sections for fully vaccinated fans would be permitted in accordance with local health and safety guidelines.

The Miami Heat are reportedly considered the favorites to land San Antonio Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge, but there are other teams in the running as well.

On Tuesday's episode of the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (beginning at the 20:15 mark), ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said "the league believes" the Heat are the front-runners to sign Aldridge should he receive a buyout as expected.

Windhorst noted that it is far from a done deal, though, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are also interested.

The 35-year-old Aldridge is in his worst statistical season since his rookie campaign in 2006-07, as he is averaging just 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21 games.

With the Spurs opting to go younger, Aldridge is now officially out of the picture. Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said earlier this month that the Spurs and Aldridge "mutually agreed for him to work on some opportunities elsewhere."

A trade before Thursday's deadline is possible, but assuming no team wants to give up an asset for Aldridge, the likeliest resolution is a buyout, which would make Aldridge a free agent.

This season has been far from ideal for Aldridge, but the 15-year veteran is among the best big men of his generation as evidenced by seven All-Star nods and five All-NBA selections.

He has averaged at least 20 points per game in a season seven times and at least eight rebounds per game in a season on nine occasions. For his career, he owns averages of 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks.

Miami is a logical landing spot since Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk are essentially the only bigs on the roster who head coach Erik Spoelstra trusts to play big minutes.

The Heat have been somewhat disappointing this season with a 22-21 record, but they are in the playoffs right now, and they have a group capable of making a deep run on the heels of reaching the NBA Finals last season.

Like the Heat, the Lakers and Clippers both have championship aspirations as well, and they could benefit from a veteran big with over 1,000 games of NBA experience like Aldridge.

Windhorst reported that the Lakers are favored to sign Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond should he receive a buyout as expected, but if that doesn't happen, Aldridge would be a nice fallback option.

Anthony Davis remains on the shelf with Achilles and calf injuries, while center Marc Gasol has been a disappointment, meaning Aldridge would likely play a big role with the Lakers should they sign him.

The Clippers have a bit more quality depth in their frontcourt with Serge Ibaka, Ivica Zubac and Nicolas Batum, but it is being tested, with Ibaka missing some time due to back spasms.

Aldridge may not be a game-changer for any of the aforementioned teams at this point in his career, but it can't hurt for a playoff team to add a player with his resume to the mix for the stretch run.