Erik Spoelstra acknowledged that there is some unknown with the Miami Heat heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. (Mandatory Credit: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
While the Eastern Conference has plenty of unknown entering the 2025-26 NBA season, the Miami Heat do, too.
Throughout the Jimmy Butler era, the expectation was always to win. That objective isn’t going to change, but the Heat are entering their first full season without Butler, who was traded to the Golden State Warriors last February. They are still searching for a new identity with a few new faces, one they were not able to find in 30-plus games post-Butler last year.
During media day on Monday, head coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged there’s an unknown to this year’s team — and he’s “embracing” it.
“There’s an element of unknown with this team,” he said, according to Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports. “It’s invigorated me. I’m embracing the unknown. There’s some things we do know … But I think when you can also have a season where you’re not totally sure, but there’s big possibilities where guys can grow. … It’s exciting.”
“There’s an element of unknown with this team. It’s invigorated me. I’m embracing the unknown. There’s some things we do know…. but I think when you can also have a season where you’re not totally sure, but there’s big possibilities where guys can grow…. it’s exciting.”…
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) September 29, 2025
The Miami Heat have been mediocre each of the last three seasons. They tied their worst record (37-45) since the Big 3 era concluded, capped by getting mercifully swept out of the postseason. They went 26-37 without Butler, including a dreadful 12-17 post-All-Star break despite having the 12th-best NET Rating (3.0) over that span. The story of the season was they couldn’t close games, but now it’s time to write a new chapter.
Entering the new season, while competing for a conference title isn’t in the cards, there’s a whiff of optimism around the team’s young core — led by Nikola Jovic and Kel’el Ware — and new additions (Powell, Simone Fontecchio, Kasparas Jakucionis) with a chance to prove themselves, even in Tyler Herro’s immediate absence.
There’s always some thrill of being an unknown commodity. But what’s unknown know will soon be known, and that’s where I think this puzzle becomes intriguing, even if there’s not a ton of high aspirations.
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