The Miami Heat culminated their regular season with a 37-45 overall record. Despite defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in their regular season finale, 105-101, the Heat fell just a game short of clinching a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season. It is the first time the team will miss the postseason during Erik Spoelstra's tenure as Heat head coach. The team struggled all throughout the 2014-15 season. Injuries, lack of depth and an inability to score in general led to the Heat's downfall. Entering the 2015 offseason, Pat Riley will likely retool a roster that was clearly lacking by the end of the season. With the exception of players such as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside, there isn't a single player on the current roster that is a lock to return next season. Riley will do whatever it takes to bring the Heat franchise back to the NBA Finals. If Miami has any chance of returning to the "elite" echelon during the 2015-16 season, here are five transactions the franchise will have to make during the offseason. 1. Restructure Chris Andersen's Contract or Consider Trading Him Chris Andersen has a year left on his contract and is due $5 million for the 2015-16 season. While "Birdman" was a key spark plug during the Heat's championship years, age and injuries took a toll on the veteran during the 2014-15 season. While his averages of 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game this past season were about on par with his averages since signing with the Heat during the 2012-13 season, he was limited to just 60 games due to foot, calf and shoulder injuries. Andersen was the fifth-highest paid player on the Heat this past year. The fact of the matter is, he's less valuable than he was prior, due to the presence of Whiteside. While the Heat still need a big off the bench who can do what "Birdman" does, it is simply not worth it to pay an injury-prone 37-year-old big $5 million to hopefully get through another season. If Miami can restructure, "Birdman" should be back for another year in South Beach. If not, the franchise should consider trading him. Next: Re-Sign Goran Dragic [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 2. Re-Sign Goran Dragic There is little doubt that the biggest priority for the Heat during the offseason will be to re-sign their starting point guard in Goran Dragic. Dragic was acquired at the trade deadline back in February. With the exception of Wade, it is clear that Dragic has established himself as the Heat's second-best option on offense. In 26 appearances with Miami, the veteran point guard had per game averages of 16.6 points and 5.3 assists on 50 percent shooting. The Heat now have a legitimate playmaker at the point guard position. Dragic holds a player option worth $7.5 million for next season, but has already announced his intent to waive the option in order to enter free agency. However, he has made it clear Miami is where he'd like to spend the next few years of his career. Dragic stated how "happy" he is in Miami back in early March, via Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post: "Yeah, of course (about a return to Miami). I’m happy right now here. There’s still 22 games and I never know what’s going to happen, but at this point now, that’s what it is." The 28-year-old point guard will be the key to the Heat's resurgence as an elite team in the Eastern Conference over the next few years. It is imperative he is re-signed at all costs. Next: Consider Replacing Luol Deng [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 3. Consider Replacing Luol Deng It is unclear whether Luol Deng will return to Miami next season. Regardless of his decision, the Heat need to plan ahead and possibly replace Deng at the starting small forward position. The 11-year veteran was signed in the immediate aftermath of LeBron James' decision to bolt for Cleveland. Riley called the signing "one of the most important signings in franchise history." While many called it an exaggeration, it was further proven just how much of an exaggeration it was during the season. Deng averaged just 14.2 points per game and did little to offset the loss of Bosh for the second half of the year. The small forward was a somewhat stable piece as he played in 72 games—more than any other player on the roster with the exception of Mario Chalmers. The issue is he earns $10.1 million for next season if he decides to exercise his player option for 2015-16. That is simply too much money for a player on the downside of his career who is regressing with each passing season. The Heat were looking for a scorer capable of filling the third man role alongside Wade and Bosh. They did not find that in Deng. Next: Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside to a Long-Term Deal [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 4. Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside to a Long-Term Deal Whiteside was one of the NBA's biggest revelations this season. An unknown who had to play professional basketball overseas just to make a living, Whiteside returned to the NBA in November of 2014 when the Heat signed him to a 10-day contract. Little did anyone know that it would be the best transaction the Heat would make all year long. The 7-foot center ended the season averaging a double-double with 11.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. In addition, he posted an average of 2.6 blocks per game while having his per game stats bogged down due to limited playing time up until late December. Whiteside's impact on both ends of the court is undeniable. The only issue is that his contract ends after the 2015-16 season. Riley and the front office need to get this deal done before the 26-year-old center has another dominant season. If they are unable to sign Whiteside to a long-term deal, he could be as good as gone through free agency during the 2016 offseason. Next: Find a Viable Replacement for Mario Chalmers [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 5. Find a Viable Replacement for Mario Chalmers Chalmers is signed with the Heat through next season with a salary hit of $4.3 million. 'Rio has been with the franchise since being acquired during the 2008 draft by Miami. After a disastrous 2014 NBA Finals performance, it appeared as if his tenure with the franchise had come to an end. That was not to be as Riley re-signed the much-criticized point guard to a two-year deal. Although he had appeared to find a niche in the rotation as a scoring two-guard at the end of the 2014 calendar year, he fizzled during the last several months of the season. He finished the season shooting just 40 percent from the field in addition to a paltry 29 percent from beyond the arc. It was easily the lowest shooting percentage from three-point range of Chalmers' seven-year NBA career. Similar to how the Heat were able to rid themselves of Norris Cole, Shawne Williams and Danny Granger at the trade deadline, Miami should find a way to end the 'Rio experiment by acquiring assets such as draft picks and young players in exchange for the veteran guard this offseason. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"]
