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The Miami Heat will be star-chasing once again this offseason, but they cannot afford to make this same costly mistake. (Mandatory Credit: Tomas Diniz Santos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nThe Miami Heat will be star-chasing once again this offseason, but they cannot afford to make this same costly mistake. (Mandatory Credit: Tomas Diniz Santos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
There are plenty of Miami Heat games where we commonly refer to them as being \u201cstuck in the mud.\u201d Well, truthfully, that\u2019s been the epitome of their last four seasons, all resulting in play-in bouts.<\/p>\n
This year, however, the Heat did not survive the play-in, getting bounced by the Charlotte Hornets. It snapped their six-year postseason streak, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many. It\u2019s quite apparent that there\u2019s a wide delta between where they are, and where they need to be to compete for a title.<\/p>\n
Therefore, this offseason is a big one for them. Currently, Miami is viewed as a potential landing spot for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But it cannot afford to make this mistake.<\/p>\n
Heat must have a Plan B if they can\u2019t land Giannis:<\/p>\n
Miami will star chase until it\u2019s blue in the face; this regime \u2014 one of the most respected in the NBA \u2014 doesn\u2019t know how to team build any other way. Time after time, they will whale hunt without a plan to not only acquire said star, but to pivot when the plans fall through.<\/p>\n
Once again, the Heat are climbing that mountaintop, hoping for a different result. That\u2019s the definition of insanity, although they have one extra first-round pick to offer \u2014 their No. 13 overall first-round pick.<\/p>\n
Build through the draft:<\/p>\n
Miami is playing a dangerous game by chasing Antetokounmpo, one of the league\u2019s best when he\u2019s healthy.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a top-5 player. But Miami is in danger of forking over all of their assets \u2014 including their tradable picks \u2014 for the 31-year-old superstar.<\/p>\n
While the Heat have done a very good job drafting players above their position, they have failed to recognize that modern contenders are built through the draft \u2014 not star-laden trades. <\/p>\n
Finding a star in the draft is quite difficult, but Miami has one of the best developmental organizations in the NBA. And when they have built up enough ammo in the draft and through other necessary asset management, they\u2019ll be in a much better position to take a large swing for, say, an Antetokounmpo-esque player, or a couple of key missing pieces, that become available.<\/p>\n
Heat must nail their MLE:<\/p>\n
Regardless of what the Heat\u2019s course of action, they must nail whomever they target with their mid-level exception, which is worth roughly $15 million. They don\u2019t have to spend all of it, but they will need to add more two-way depth to fortify their roster \u2014 with or without Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n
We outlined a few targets<\/a> here. It\u2019s not a deep free agent class, but it\u2019s one that still possesses plenty of quality talent. Specifically, Miami should target a backup big and at least one versatile 3-and-D wing, bolstering their depth, especially if an injury or two pops up.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Check out Hot Hot Hoops on Facebook\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t