Following the Heat’s Norman Powell pickup, they could be just a piece or two away from making noise in the Eastern Conference once again. (Photo via Sun Sentinel)
The Miami Heat front office have finally received their overdue flowers in recent days. Their shocking acquisition of All-Star caliber Norman Powell was enough to turn heads around the league for the bargain price tag they used to get it done.
An underwhelming 10th seed Heat roster this past season was in serious jeopardy of “running it back” once again. Outside of the 20th overall draft selection of 19 year-old Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami was looking at a nearly identical roster that just got dismantled in a first-round series sweep at the beginning stages of this summer’s free agency.
Since then, they have made a Davion Mitchell re-signing official and then traded Duncan Robinson in a cost-cutting move for sharpshooting replacement Simone Fontecchio. Both of these moves were then followed up by the brilliant Powell trade for cheap.
But despite an A+ grade for their most recent deal, there’s still work that could be done. And Pat Riley needs to pounce.
Instead of going all in on the direction of youth, Powell’s addition to the roster brings a new sign of competitive life. All of a sudden, Miami has a formidable core around a potential starting lineup of Tyler Herro, Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware in a wide open Eastern Conference.
Even so, there’s still question marks that could make this team more formidable if solved. But the fate of that notion falls in the hands of Riley’s continued aggression.
The Miami Heat’s problems have been deeper than the lack of roster talent over the years.
Riley and the Heat front office have built a complacent reputation in recent years. Once known as an elite executive with a storied history of whale hunting, it’s seemed like the modern era of deal making has passed Riley by. A failed pursuit of Kevin Durant once again only proved so even more than ever.
However, Powell was a perfect bounce back target to flood optimism back into the fanbase. So what’s next for the Heat?
They are reportedly not done searching for upgrades. And they still have attractive trade chips remaining with Wiggins, Terry Rozier’s expiring salary and Jaime Jaquez Jr.— along with an open roster spot to now utilize.
On paper, Wiggins is still an attractive contributor to round out coach Erik Spoelstra’s revamped lineup. But availability concerns and fit both on and off the court proved otherwise last season.
If Riley can flip him into an effective wing that aligns better with the roster chemistry, this could somehow develop into the best Heat offseason since Jimmy Butler’s signing in 2019. After Kevin Love’s departure in the Powell trade, a backup big is now the newest necessity even after that, as well.
In hindsight, Miami could be just a couple of more moves away from being a legitimate playoff contender. It’s up to Riley and the front office to continue maximizing the opportunity to improve.
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