What are Miami’s options?

[Roy H.]

Does anybody know what Miami’s off-season plan is?

I believe that they can create some Space this year, but only if they pronounce their own free agents, including Dragic.  If you re-sign their own guys, would they still be in the Giannis sweepstakes next season?

A quick look at their cap sheet makes it look like they could retain a core of Butler, Dragic, Bam, Herro and Robinson while still having max space in 2022.  Is that right?

I’ve gotta say, if both Miami and Dallas can offer max contracts in 2022, Milwaukee should just trade Giannis now.  No taxes, great management, better teammates, warmer weather.

[hpantazo]

That sounds about right to me. Other than Giannis, who else can Miami target as a max FA that could fit well into their core?

I think the question for me is what are Milwaukee's options? At least the Celtics had injuries and young players as an excuse, but the Bucks lost that series to the Heat before Giannis went down. They have no room to improve , and the East with Brooklyn, Boston, Miami and Phili will all be as good or better next season. If they don't trade Giannis they could fall into being a long-term lottery team when he walks.

[pearljammer10]

I think they try and swing a trade for Oladipo without trading any core pieces, how this is done I’m not entirely sure.

Since he’s on a one year, if Giannis is wooed by Riley they sign him. If Giannis goes elsewhere, they can use Oladipo as an option B.

[Jvalin]

Does anybody know what Miami’s off-season plan is?

I believe that they can create some Space this year, but only if they pronounce their own free agents, including Dragic.  If you re-sign their own guys, would they still be in the Giannis sweepstakes next season?

A quick look at their cap sheet makes it look like they could retain a core of Butler, Dragic, Bam, Herro and Robinson while still having max space in 2022.  Is that right?

I’ve gotta say, if both Miami and Dallas can offer max contracts in 2022, Milwaukee should just trade Giannis now.  No taxes, great management, better teammates, warmer weather.

Giannis will hit free agency in 2021, not 2022.

I bet their plan A is to run it back for 1 season and then go after Giannis in 2021. They have 3 rotation players hitting free agency: Dragic, Crowder and Meyers Leonard. I fully expect them to offer Dragic + Crowder a sizable 1-year contract. Not sure whether they wanna keep Leonard. He started 49 games during the regular season, but he hardly played during the playoffs. Imo, Bam is at his best when playing at C, hence Leonard is expendable.

Btw, Bam is eligible for an extension during the off season (just like Tatum). Don't think he will get it. I guess they'll promise him a max contract in 2021. In the meantime, they need to manage their cap wisely cause they are going after Giannis. Personally speaking, I believe Bam would be a bad fit next to Giannis, but that's a whole nother story.

[jambr380]

Does anybody know what Miami’s off-season plan is?

I believe that they can create some Space this year, but only if they pronounce their own free agents, including Dragic.  If you re-sign their own guys, would they still be in the Giannis sweepstakes next season?

A quick look at their cap sheet makes it look like they could retain a core of Butler, Dragic, Bam, Herro and Robinson while still having max space in 2022.  Is that right?

I’ve gotta say, if both Miami and Dallas can offer max contracts in 2022, Milwaukee should just trade Giannis now.  No taxes, great management, better teammates, warmer weather.

Giannis will hit free agency in 2021, not 2022.

I bet their plan A is to run it back for 1 season and then go after Giannis in 2021. They have 3 rotation players hitting free agency: Dragic, Crowder and Meyers Leonard. I fully expect them to offer Dragic + Crowder a sizable 1-year contract. Not sure whether they wanna keep Leonard. He started 49 games during the regular season, but he hardly played during the playoffs. Imo, Bam is at his best when playing at C, hence Leonard is expendable.

Btw, Bam is eligible for an extension during the off season (just like Tatum). Don't think he will get it. I guess they'll promise him a max contract in 2021. In the meantime they need to manage their cap wisely cause they are going after Giannis. Personally speaking, I believe Bam would be a bad fit next to Giannis, but that's a whole nother story.

I would hate this from a Heat fan perspective. Even though the Cs could potentially let Hayward walk and salary dump Kemba to create a lot of cap space after this upcoming season, I still absolutely want to lock up Tatum asap. If Bam isn't feeling 'wanted' or if he has an injury riddled season where the Heat think they can offer him less than the max, then any number of things can happen - including him playing out his RFA year and going into UFA in 2022. I realize that's very unlikely, but still not something you want to do with your young stars.

[Roy H.]

Does anybody know what Miami’s off-season plan is?

I believe that they can create some Space this year, but only if they pronounce their own free agents, including Dragic.  If you re-sign their own guys, would they still be in the Giannis sweepstakes next season?

A quick look at their cap sheet makes it look like they could retain a core of Butler, Dragic, Bam, Herro and Robinson while still having max space in 2022.  Is that right?

I’ve gotta say, if both Miami and Dallas can offer max contracts in 2022, Milwaukee should just trade Giannis now.  No taxes, great management, better teammates, warmer weather.

Giannis will hit free agency in 2021, not 2022.

I bet their plan A is to run it back for 1 season and then go after Giannis in 2021. They have 3 rotation players hitting free agency: Dragic, Crowder and Meyers Leonard. I fully expect them to offer Dragic + Crowder a sizable 1-year contract. Not sure whether they wanna keep Leonard. He started 49 games during the regular season, but he hardly played during the playoffs. Imo, Bam is at his best when playing at C, hence Leonard is expendable.

Btw, Bam is eligible for an extension during the off season (just like Tatum). Don't think he will get it. I guess they'll promise him a max contract in 2021. In the meantime they need to manage their cap wisely cause they are going after Giannis. Personally speaking, I believe Bam would be a bad fit next to Giannis, but that's a whole nother story.

The summer before the 2022 season.

I don’t think Dragic takes a 1-and-1. 

[Moranis]

Miami is interesting.  Was this year a fluke or are they really a legit contender?  Hard to say.  Butler is a top 10ish player and Bam is certainly only going to get better.  Are guys like Nunn and Herro real pieces or just complimentary players?  What do you do with Dragic?  So many questions for the Heat especially if they really try to maintain a full max slot in 2021.

[hpantazo]

Miami is interesting.  Was this year a fluke or are they really a legit contender?  Hard to say.  Butler is a top 10ish player and Bam is certainly only going to get better.  Are guys like Nunn and Herro real pieces or just complimentary players?  What do you do with Dragic?  So many questions for the Heat especially if they really try to maintain a full max slot in 2021.

I think wether or not they believe in Nunn will partially determine what they do with Dragic. If they think Nunn's first half of this past season was legit, they could let Dragic go and save cap space.

[tazzmaniac]

MIlwaukee will offer Giannis supermax this offseason.  If he turns it down, they should certainly trade him. 

[SteveD]

Wish there was a way the Celtics could trade for Miami's Duncan Robinson. Maybe Semi Ojeleye and all three 1st round picks ? I think it would be worth it for Boston.

[tazzmaniac]

Miami is interesting.  Was this year a fluke or are they really a legit contender?  Hard to say.  Butler is a top 10ish player and Bam is certainly only going to get better.  Are guys like Nunn and Herro real pieces or just complimentary players?  What do you do with Dragic?  So many questions for the Heat especially if they really try to maintain a full max slot in 2021.

I vote for flukey.  Miami finished 5th in the East but made it to the finals.  This season could be flukey too but I expect Miami to finish 6th in the East, ahead of Indiana but behind the Sixers and Nets.  Of course, I'm assuming no really significant moves via free agency or trade. 

[Moranis]

Miami is interesting.  Was this year a fluke or are they really a legit contender?  Hard to say.  Butler is a top 10ish player and Bam is certainly only going to get better.  Are guys like Nunn and Herro real pieces or just complimentary players?  What do you do with Dragic?  So many questions for the Heat especially if they really try to maintain a full max slot in 2021.

I vote for flukey.  Miami finished 5th in the East but made it to the finals.  This season could be flukey too but I expect Miami to finish 6th in the East, ahead of Indiana but behind the Sixers and Nets.  Of course, I'm assuming no really significant moves via free agency or trade.

They were 38-20 with Butler and just 6-9 without him.  So that is a 54 win pace in the games Butler was out there (less than a game behind Boston's pace).  Obviously 54 wins isn't super elite, but it is also a much better pace then they showed overall because of the games Butler missed.  They also only had 4 guys play in at least 60 games (they played 73).  They were a much different team when they were healthy in the playoffs.  Again though it may have still been a fluke, but I don't think they were really much different than Boston or Toronto from an overall talent perspective and unlike Boston and Toronto, Butler is a legit top 10 player in the league something Boston and Toronto didn't have last year.

[Roy H.]

Wish there was a way the Celtics could trade for Miami's Duncan Robinson. Maybe Semi Ojeleye and all three 1st round picks ? I think it would be worth it for Boston.

Why not just take shooters with all three picks?  Chances are they get at least one player as good or better than Robinson.

[Birdman]

Miami just got hot at the right time..I think the are 5th or 6th best team in East

[wiley]

Miami just got hot at the right time..I think the are 5th or 6th best team in East

The 5th or 6th best team in the East doesn't get hot and go to the finals and take two games without their leading scorer....