Without the obstinance of Jimmy Butler, it was always going to end this way. Even with the Miami Heat’s underdog spirit, there was no way to overcome the best team in the East without one of the best winners of the last generation. Nevertheless, with their 118-84 loss to the Boston Celtics in game five of their 2024 NBA Playoffs first round series, the season is over for the Heat, one that showed promise at times but ultimately never offered true contention for the title.
The Heat must now look forwards, and how they can retool to go again. Certainly, they have big plans, and are said to be intending to (or perhaps anticipating that they will) land another star on the same sort of timeline as their All-Star center Bam Adebayo. But as is often the case with this franchise, the Heat also have one of the oldest teams in the NBA. And these days, that comes without Udonis Haslem upping the average.
As always, the Heat will want to go big, just as they swung for Damian Lillard last summer (and seem to get into contention for every star player rumored to be available). How feasible that will be will be determined by what they have to work with.
With that in mind, here follows a look at the Miami Heat’s roster and spending heading into the 2024 NBA offseason.