Miami Heat

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro said the team's front office should let the roster "run it back" after reaching the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.

YouTube star Jake Paul asked Herro how he'd approach the rest of the NBA offseason amid trade rumors linking the Heat to a pair of superstars, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell:

KD or Spida in South Beach this year?

Nah, @raf_tyler wants to run it back with the same squad 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e5rNgfIhvr

— betr (@betr) August 19, 2022

It's been a quiet offseason for Miami. It lost forward P.J. Tucker to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency but re-signed guard Victor Oladipo. The most notable addition so far was first-round draft pick Nikola Jovic, who doesn't figure to make a major impact right away.

Although the Heat have been linked to both Durant and Mitchell throughout the summer, there's been nothing to suggest a blockbuster trade is imminent, so Herro may get his wish of running it back with the same core.

They've been a consistent contender since Herro arrived in 2019. They reached the NBA Finals in his rookie season before falling short against the Los Angeles Lakers.

As it stands, Miami features one of the NBA's deepest rotations, led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but whether there's enough high-end star power to chase down a title is up for debate.

That's the main reason they've been linked to KD and Mitchell. Team president Pat Riley explained in June the front office would explore all possibilities, but noted the high cost of acquiring elite talent would be a factor.

"If there's one out there, throw 'em to me," Riley told reporters. "But you can always use more, but it's got to be a good fit, but not at the cost of doing something that could be prohibitive."

Should the Heat ultimately stand pat, they're going to need a bounce-back year from Kyle Lowry and for Herro to take another step forward in his fourth season.

They open the 2022-23 campaign Oct. 19 against the Chicago Bulls, giving Riley and Co. two more months to decide whether there's a roster-altering move worth making.

Herro is hoping that type of deal doesn't come to fruition.

The Miami Heat have put themselves consistently in championship contention in recent years, highlighted by a trip to the 2020 NBA Finals, and now they'll look to secure the franchise's fourth title.

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro remain the roster's strong foundation, but the Heat are going to need a bounce-back year from Kyle Lowry, who struggled while dealing with a hamstring injury in last season's playoffs, to come out of the Eastern Conference.

Miami will continue to lean heavily on Lowry to help run the offense after a quiet offseason with mostly depth additions and subtractions.

Barring a blockbuster trade—Kevin Durant was linked to Miami following his trade request from the Brooklyn Nets—the Heat are betting on internal improvement as they look to get past the reigning East champion Boston Celtics and the conference's other contenders.

Let's check out the key information about the Heat's regular-season slate following the NBA's schedule release. That's followed by a look at some key matchups and a season outlook.

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2022-23 Heat Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 19 vs. Chicago Bulls

Championship Odds: 15-1 (via FanDuel)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

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Top Matchups

Boston Celtics (First Meeting: Oct. 21)

The Heat and Celtics faced off in the conference finals last season. Miami surged to an early 2-1 lead in that series before ultimately falling short in six games. It wouldn't come as a surprise if there's a playoff rematch on the horizon.

Before that, both teams will be focused on trying to lock down a high seed in the East, which has become far more competitive and balanced over the past few years. The conference featured 10 teams with a record over .500 in 2021-22.

Miami edged Boston for the top seed last season, but each of the top four teams ended up within two games of each other, so there wasn't much margin for error atop the standings.

Aside from the importance in the big picture, the battles between the Heat and Celtics feature no shortage of great head-to-head battles, led by Butler vs. Jayson Tatum and Herro vs. Jaylen Brown.

It sets the stage for some of the most intriguing regular-season matchups of the campaign.

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Philadelphia 76ers (First Meeting: Feb. 27)

Miami pushed past Philly in the second round of last season's playoffs on the strength of a standout series from Butler, who spent the 2018-19 season with the Sixers.

You'd struggle to find someone with more competitive fire than Butler, and he showed it again after knocking the 76ers out of the playoffs:

“Tobias Harris over me?” Damn Jimmy Butler 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/Avvkjpglsq

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 13, 2022

The six-time All-Star is tough to slow down regardless of the circumstances, but he becomes nearly unstoppable when playing with a chip on his shoulder, which is why his clashes with the Sixers are so entertaining.

Beyond that, the games are important for the same reasons as the Heat vs. Celtics in terms of jockeying for position in the conference.

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Season Forecast

The balance of power in the East could shift significantly depending on whether Durant is ultimately traded, especially if he lands with a team like the Heat or Celtics, so that situation continues to hang over the league following the schedule release.

As it stands, Miami is likely ticketed for a similar regular season to last year based on the limited roster turnover throughout the summer.

The Heat have some possible upside depending on the performance of Lowry and Victor Oladipo, who's shown occasional flashes of a return to being an impact player.

If the two veterans can showcase consistent play closer to their peak form earlier in their careers, it would provide a major boost to Miami's outlook, especially at the offensive end.

The team won't have a ton of youthful contributors beyond Herro unless rookie Nikola Jovic is able to carve out a spot in the rotation, so it can't bet too heavily on the more standard internal growth that other contenders tend to rely on when they don't make splash offseason moves.

Ultimately, the Heat should cruise to another postseason appearance, but what they accomplish in the playoffs will be the deciding factor in whether the season is a success.

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Record Prediction: 52-30

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Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro isn't outwardly concerned with the multitude of past and present trade rumors involving his name.

"I mean, every summer, that's just what it is," Herro told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel at a team-sponsored back-to-school event Tuesday.

"I mean, ever since I've been here, my name's been in rumors. So rumors, like I said last summer, they don't bother me. I’m just getting ready for this season, and whether I'm on the Heat or somewhere else, I'm getting ready for the season."

Herro's name was notably floated in rumors involving Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell this year.

He was also suggested as a potential trade piece involving then-Houston Rockets guard James Harden in 2020, and Ethan J. Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports reported that there was a "75 percent chance" Herro would get traded during the 2021 offseason.

While that did not happen, trade rumors have occurred during or after each of Herro's three NBA seasons.

The former Kentucky star made the 2019-20 All-Rookie team after posting 13.5 points per game during the regular season.

He shone during the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, when he averaged 19.2 points per contest (including a series-high 37 in Game 4) against the Boston Celtics en route to helping the Heat make the NBA Finals.

After averaging 15.1 points during his second campaign, the 22-year-old broke out last season, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors. He posted 20.7 points on 44.7 percent shooting (39.9 percent from three-point range) alongside 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per matchup.

Unfortunately, a strained groin slowed him down and also held him out during last season's playoffs. He was held to just 78 minutes over four contests in the Heat's seven-game Eastern Conference Finals loss to Boston.

Despite all of the trade talk, Herro is still a member of the Heat, whose Jimmy Butler-led nucleus from last year's top-seeded Eastern Conference team remains intact.

The Miami Heat are still in pursuit of Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, but they reportedly have a backup plan in place.

Sean Deveney of Heavy spoke to an executive who believes acquiring Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets is Miami's "Plan B."

“If you want to give up [Tyler] Herro before you pay him and you want to move [Duncan] Robinson, you would have to add a pick, but those two guys and Omer [Yurtseven], that might be enough to get Hayward if the Hornets decide to reconfigure," the executive said. "It’s a short-term move for Miami, but they need to make their move now. You can play him at the 3 and go big or go small at the 4. He’s a guy they’ve had interest in before.”

The Hornets were reportedly exploring a trade of Hayward ahead of the 2022 NBA draft but did not make a move. It's unclear how motivated the Hornets are to make a move now, especially given the uncertain NBA future of Miles Bridges, who is currently facing domestic violence and child abuse charges.

Regardless, it's almost a lock that Herro would not be involved in any trade for Hayward, barring some previously unknown falling out with the organization. Herro is a 22-year-old coming off winning Sixth Man of the Year; Hayward is a full decade older and hasn't played more than 72 games in a season since 2019.

Even if the Heat add Robinson's contract to the mix, there's no world in which moving Herro in a deal for Hayward makes sense. Robinson's five-year, $90 million contract has proved to be a misfire from Miami's perspective, but Hayward's locked in for $61.6 million over the next two years. Robinson's guaranteed only $64.4 million over the next four seasons.

A more logical Hayward-to-Miami deal could be consummated after Jan. 15, when the Heat could package Victor Oladipo, Robinson and a draft pick.

Since Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, the Miami Heat have been linked as a potential suitor, but to acquire the four-time scoring champion, they'd likely have to part ways with Bam Adebayo.

As trade rumors surrounding Adebayo continue, the veteran big man reiterated his commitment to the franchise, saying he wants to end up like Udonis Haslem and spend his entire career in South Florida.

"If I could, I would," Adebayo said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. "Just to have that opportunity to be around this community for my whole career. A lot of the community has seen my grown up. Going from a random 14th draft pick to being a cornerstone in this organization and to become something bigger. It's just one of those things that's dope when people grow with you."

Chiang and Barry Jackson reported earlier this week that the Heat remain hesitant to include Adebayo in a trade package for Durant.

"Though the Nets would have interest in Bam Adebayo in a Durant trade, the Heat has not included Adebayo in offers for Durant and appears disinclined to do so," Chiang and Jackson wrote.

In an interview with Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel last week, Adebayo didn't appear too shaken by the reports that he could be traded.

"It is what it is, control what you can control," Adebayo said. "Obviously it's an opportunity for something, but in my opinion, control what you can control. I can't control that."

Even if the Nets want Adebayo, they would have to trade Ben Simmons because teams are not allowed to have two players on designated rookie extensions that were acquired via trade.

It's no surprise Miami wants to keep Adebayo, as trading him to acquire Durant likely would not put the franchise closer to winning another NBA title. Now, adding Durant to a lineup that includes both Adebayo and Jimmy Butler would help the team compete with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

However, the Nets aren't interested in a package for Durant that is centered around reigning Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. So, unless Brooklyn has a change of heart, it seems like Durant-to-Miami is a long shot.

The Heat selected Adebayo 14th overall in the 2017 NBA draft. He didn't have much of an impact in his first two seasons but broke out during the 2019-20 campaign and put together his best performance in 2021-22.

In 56 games last season, the 25-year-old averaged 19.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 55.7 percent from the floor.

Adebayo is under contract with the Heat through the 2025-26 campaign.

The Miami Heat were once regarded as one of the teams with the best chances of trading for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, but that no longer appears to be the case.

According to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, the Nets "have displayed little interest in the Heat's offer for the high-scoring superstar and Miami is moving ahead with its current roster for next season."

Jackson and Chiang noted that the Nets have shown interest in Heat center Bam Adebayo, but he hasn't been included in Miami's trade offers and the team "appears disinclined" to add him to discussions. However, Brooklyn would only be able to add Adebayo if it trades away Ben Simmons because of the designated rookie extension rule, which states that a team can't have two players on its roster signed to such extensions who were acquired via trade.

Durant reportedly requested a trade from the Nets in late June, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Miami and the Phoenix Suns were among his preferred destinations. But Brooklyn understandably has a high asking price for the 12-time All-Star, and no team has been able to meet those demands so far.

The Heat have enticing pieces such as 2022 Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro and three-point sharpshooter Duncan Robinson. Miami also has solid draft pick compensation to include in a potential deal.

Per Jackson and Chiang, the Heat are "currently eligible to include two unprotected first-round picks in a trade offer and could unlock a third unprotected first-round pick" if they manage to lift the lottery protections on a 2025 first-round pick owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That also would allow Miami to include three pick swaps in its offer to Brooklyn.

Still, it doesn't appear to be attractive enough for the Nets to part ways with Durant. All indications point to the situation likely continuing to play out during training camp and possibly into the regular season.

Nikki Sapp Spoelstra, the wife of Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, announced Friday on Instagram that their son Santiago's cancer is in remission:

"Yesterday, our big boy got to ring the bell in the cancer wing at Nicklaus [Children's Hospital], and the gratitude I feel is overwhelming. REMISSION.

"My family and I are incredibly grateful to his pediatricians, the surgeons, the doctors, the nurses, the whole Child Life Team, and all of the staff at Nicklaus who took care of our boy... but also, our family. There were many tears but these special individuals all made sure that there were plenty of smiles and all the love and support to go around. There really aren’t enough words. Simply... THANK YOU 🤍"

Santiago was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, after undergoing an unexpected intestinal surgery the day after his fourth birthday, Nikki wrote in the post.

Santiago underwent months of chemotherapy before finally ringing the bell at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.

Spoelstra sat out a game in March after it was reported that one of his sons was undergoing a medical procedure, but neither the longtime head coach nor the Heat provided further details.

Spoelstra and Nikki currently have two sons—Santiago and Dante. Nikki announced last month that they have a third child, a girl, on the way.

Spoelstra has been head coach of the Heat since 2008. In his 15 seasons at the helm, he is 660-453 and has led the franchise to two NBA titles and five Eastern Conference championships.

Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant requested a trade Thursday, and the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are on his wish list.

KD, however, reportedly isn't interested in the Heat unless Miami can keep Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry, per Sam Amick of The Athletic:

"As for the Miami possibility that also seems to be in play, I'm told there's a significant obstacle on that front. Durant, it seems, would only want to play on a Heat team that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. So even if the Heat were willing to move Butler in a deal as a way of satisfying the Nets' (understandably pricey) request, doing so would leave Durant discontented from the start."

Durant should return a massive haul. The 33-year-old just averaged 29.9 points per game on 51.8 percent shooting with 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.4 assists in 2021-22.

There's a logistical issue at play with a potential Durant-Heat trade, as Amick noted:

"As others have pointed out, Adebayo comes with a complication of his own even beyond the fact that Durant likely wants him to stay. Since teams aren't allowed to have two players on designated rookie-max extensions who came their way via trade, Brooklyn would have to trade Ben Simmons to bring in Adebayo. If the Heat's best offer is centered on Tyler Herro, I just don't see how that ever gains any traction."

There are tea leaves that indicate Phoenix will be Durant's destination. For starters, the Suns are led by head coach Monty Williams, who was an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015-16, Durant's last season with the organization. Per Amick, Williams and Durant have a "close relationship."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst also predicted Durant will end up in Arizona.

"I believe, ultimately, that Kevin Durant will be a Phoenix Sun." - @WindhorstESPN just now on ESPN Radio

— Sarah Kezele 🌵 (@SarahKezele) July 1, 2022

The Heat have stiff competition in the Suns alone, and many other teams are undoubtedly interested in KD. At least one superstar wants his team to pursue Durant, per Jason Dumas of KRON4 News.

Source: It’s unclear whether Kevin Durant is interested in joining the 76ers, but Joel Embiid has made it clear to management that he wants them to exhaust every option in trying to acquire Durant.

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) June 30, 2022

It's been a shocking offseason thus far, but a quartet of Durant, Butler, Adebayo and Lowry appears unlikely.

The Miami Heat are reportedly trying to make a bold move to improve their roster this offseason.

Per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, Miami has prepared a deal for the Utah Jazz in hopes of landing star guard Donovan Mitchell.

"The Heat are a more likely landing spot for Donovan Mitchell and have furnished a trade offer to the Utah Jazz," Winfield wrote.

There appears to be mutual interest from Mitchell's end, as Winfield noted that he has a desire to play in Miami.

"In an April 2022 episode of the Certified Buckets podcast, New York City hip-hop legend Fat Joe told me he is close to Mitchell and that Mitchell’s dream is playing for Miami, not his hometown Knicks," Winfield wrote.

Mitchell has reportedly been frustrated in Utah for quite some time. He raised eyebrows Monday by posting the image of a song titled "Let Me Go" on his Instagram story. This month when former Utah head coach Quin Snyder resigned, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Mitchell was "unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise's future."

A three-time All-Star, Mitchell is one of the most promising young players in the NBA. The 25-year-old has averaged over 20 points in each of his five seasons in the league and hasn't missed the playoffs in his career.

The Heat had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season but fell in the conference finals to the Boston Celtics. Miami has a deep roster, but some players struggled throughout the postseason as Jimmy Butler was the team's only player to average more than 15 points per game in the playoffs.

Adding a player of Mitchell's caliber would surely help the Heat return to title contention.

Udonis Haslem might no longer make much of an on-court contribution, but the 42-year-old was a priority for the Miami Heat in free agency:

To show his continued importance and value to the franchise, the Miami Heat sent a delegation of employees to make a free agency pitch to Udonis Haslem promptly at 6pm tonight with hopes of luring him back for Year 20.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel added that the Heat personnel visited Haslem at his vacation home in Orlando.

Haslem has spent his entire 19-year NBA career with the Heat, helping the team win three NBA titles in this stretch.

The center has seen his playing time dwindle in recent years, appearing in just 13 games in 2021-22 while averaging 6.4 minutes and 2.5 points. He has made just 58 total regular-season appearances over the last six seasons.

Haslem's leadership within the locker room was still enough to keep him on the roster throughout this stretch. He re-signed with the team on a one-year deal last year and the organization essentially gave him the green light to keep coming back.

"The Heat have made it clear that Haslem will be allowed to retire on his terms, whenever he so chooses," Winderman reported last year.

Haslem still must decide if he wants to be back for a 20th season. He was unsure of his future as of May, saying he needed to speak with team president Pat Riley and governor Micky Arison.

"I will take my time and sit down the family, Pat, Micky and talk about what's next and where it goes," Haslem told reporters. "Now is time to take a mental break and figure it out."

Thursday's demonstration showed in no uncertain terms that the Heat want Haslem back, whether he wants to come back remains to be seen.

Miami earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season before losing to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.