After a largely successful season for the Miami Heat, in which they came within one game of playing in the Eastern Conference Finals, the team now enters the offseason with a list of priorities they must address. While the Heat were competitive enough to make a deep playoff run in 2015-16, they know they must re-assess and re-tool the roster in order to make that extra push next season. Here is a list of our top 10 priorities for the Heat this offseason:
1. Sign Kevin Durant
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It’s no secret that Kevin Durant is set to become a free agent this summer and teams around the league are vying for position in attempts to lure him into a meeting. Signing a player of Durant’s caliber would undoubtedly and instantly make any team a championship contender. There have been many reports around the league that Miami is considered a top destination for Durant should he choose to leave Oklahoma City. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes it’s a no-brainer that the former MVP should come to Miami if the opportunity presents itself:
Though team president Pat Riley has stated that re-signing Hassan Whiteside is the team’s top offseason priority, most understand that signing Durant would certainly take precedence above all other acquisitions. Recently, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald added his take on the subject:
“Though the Heat fully intends to make a run at Kevin Durant in July, it privately knows that Durant signing with Miami this summer is a longshot. That made it easier for Riley to say that Whiteside is the priority this summer.”
Next: Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside
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2. Re-Sign Hassan Whiteside
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Whiteside is a free agent entering the offseason and is largely considered to receive a max contract by one team or another before the summer ends. With Riley stating that re-signing him is the team’s No. 1 priority, chances are that he and the organization will do everything it takes to bring back the 7-footer. Miami is the team that helped Whiteside rise to relevancy and establish his game to a near-elite level and Whiteside is sure to remember that when meeting with the Heat this summer.
The Heat run this organization like a family and that is likely to help secure Whiteside’s trust in the franchise. However, if the Heat do indeed hope to make a serious run at Durant, they must consider his needs over Whiteside’s.
Here’s what Dan LeBatard of the Miami Herald had to say about it:
“All I’m telling you is priority number one is not get Dwyane locked up, Whiteside locked up — number one on the list is can you get the superstar (Durant) that is the big get in free agency while also taking care of your people around that?” Le Batard said. “The last two seasons what you’ve experienced is building towards that with makeshift parts, with bandages, with salary cap caulk, fix-a-flat…”
Next: Re-Sign Dwyane Wade
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3. Re-Sign Dwyane Wade
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Dwyane Wade is everything to the Heat organization and Riley recognizes that:
“He had the best season he’s had since prior to the Big 3,” Riley said in a season-ending press conference. “Compensation to a player is not just a way to get paid and live your life. Compensation to a player is about recognition and respect and place. We know where he belongs. The day we give him his contract, then I’ll go to him to cash my check.”
Wade is coming off, not only one of his most successful seasons, but one of his healthiest, too. A guy like Wade has earned his weight in gold considering what he has done for, not just the Heat organization, but for the city of Miami as well. This past season, Wade earned $20 million as part of a one-year deal with the team. Entering the 2016-17 season, Wade will likely expect to be paid slightly less.
Though he has earned the right to top money, he has always been a player who is more about the team and has been known to make sacrifices in the past. If Miami hopes to sign both Durant and Whiteside, or even offer a max contract to either of them, Wade will undoubtedly consider taking less money. While “less” is a relative term, Riley and company will have to work long and hard to assure that Wade and the team end up in a position that is mutually beneficial.
Next: Establish an Identity
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4. Establish an Identity
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The Heat seemed to struggle with its identity throughout the the 2015-16 season. Beginning the year as a defensive juggernaut with one of the slowest paces in the league, then closing out the season as more of an offensive threat after Bosh went down, it became a bit of a headache trying to assess what this team really was. Entering the offseason, the Heat must address this issue.
It all begins with head coach Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff, but establishing an identity also revolves around what the roster will look like. What will Chris Bosh‘s role be? Will Wade and Whiteisde be back to help? What type of growth will we see out of Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson? A lack of identity, particularly on the offensive end, led to a plethora of problems toward the latter end of Miami’s playoff run against the Toronto Raptors. Look for the Heat to shore up this concern once the team gets its roster in place.
Next: Replace David Fizdale
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5. Replace David Fizdale
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Heat assistant coach David Fizdale recently accepted a job as the new head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies after working in Miami for close to nine years. Fizdale often worked as a “translator” for Spoelstra and a guy that could communicate with younger players in ways they could relate to. He was considered one of the best in the business and Miami will have to find a way to replace him promptly. Chances are, assistant coaches Keith Smart and Juwan Howard will step up and take over the responsibilities previously handled by Fizdale. That leaves the Heat in good hands as both guys have worked with the Heat for years and have already established meaningful relationships with players and front office members alike.
— Stay tuned for Part Two of the “Top 10 Priorities for the Miami Heat This Offseason,” which will be released on HeatNation.com Thursday, June 9th.
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