Ranking the Miami Heat's 3 biggest priorities this summer - Hot Hot Hoops - NBA

Heading into a pivotal offseason, what should the Miami Heat’s biggest priorities be? (Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images)

We are mere weeks away from the bulk of the 2026 NBA Offseason, which is always an exciting time in the NBA calendar. For the Miami Heat, they are hoping to avoid a fifth-straight play-in appearance. But given the state of the organization, what should be their priorities entering the summer? Let’s examine!

Find a new home for Tyler Herro:

It was a rough 2025-26 season for Tyler Herro, who appeared in a career-low 36 games after an All-Star season the year prior. Herro dealt with a foot/ankle injury for most of the season, and wasn’t as impactful in the Heat’s new offense when he was.

While the Heat would be selling low on one of their best players, it’s time for both sides to part ways at this point. I don’t think he’s a valuable trade asset, but the Heat are going to have to be comfortable eating 70 cents on the dollar, at least. As much as Herro’s grown during his time with the Heat, it’s no longer a healthy partnership for either side.

Invest in your youth:

The Heat doesn’t have a great young core. They don’t have a terrible one, either. Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis have all shown encouraging flashes in their brief careers. I’d argue that Nikola Jovic has, too, although those completely vanished last year.

Vets are important not only on the court, but in the locker room. But the Heat need to lean into the development of their youth by surrounding them with players more beneficial to their success.

There will be inevitable ridges and bumps, and that’s OK. But Miami currently doesn’t have the spacing, point-of-attack defense or playmaking to completely unlock each of their potentials.

Begin to prepare for Anthony Edwards:

Earlier this week, I opined that the Heat should take a break from star chasing. Nobody likes perennial play-in appearances, but Miami poorly prepared for Antetokounmpo — whether they land him or not. They didn’t give themselves enough margin for error.

I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face: Instead of star chasing, the Heat should be focusing on asset accumulation — not haplessly gutting their already-empty treasure chest for Antetokounmpo, even though he would be an incredibly fun watch and fit alongside Adebayo.

They could be accomplished by:

Trading Andrew Wiggins, assuming he opts into his $30.2 million player option, or any other player you don’t plan on paying (i.e. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith, etc.)

Inheriting bad contracts intertwined with draft capital.

Buying low on depreciated talent or those on cost-controlled contracts (to rehabilitate their value)

If there’s any potential superstar I’m preparing for, it’s Anthony Edwards, not Antetokounmpo, respectfully. His situation in Minnesota is a ticking time bomb, and he’ll be entering his age-25 season. Plus, his ability to self-create and buy in defensively would make him a great fit.

Ranking the Miami Heat’s 3 biggest priorities this summer – Hot Hot Hoops

Tags: