With the trade deadline in the rear view mirror, the Miami Heat now look ahead to the rest of the regular season. The team notably made zero moves at this season's deadline, prompting a strong negative reaction from the fanbase. Miami reportedly were interested in both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant. However, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled Antetokounmpo from trade discussions as it seems that situation will be worked out this offseason and the Memphis Grizzlies have stood pat with Morant past Thursday's deadline.
Bleacher Report released their trade deadline grades for every NBA franchise. The Heat received a very unflattering "D" grade.
"Perhaps the Miami Heat spent too much time celebrating the past this week, as they did nothing to improve their present or future," the article wrote. "With zero moves at the deadline, Miami continues to be linked to stars in trade talks, only for nothing to come to fruition. The Heat reportedly 'went all-in' on Giannis Antetokounmpo, making everyone but Bam Adebayo available. This would have been a fun Ja Morant destination as well, with the asking price likely very reasonable. Alas, nothing. At 27-25 overall and in the East play-in tournament, Miami is perfectly average, which is one of the worst things in the NBA to be."
In 2025, the Heat made a splash by moving Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. The same deadline, Kevin Durant became available in trade discussions but never got moved until the offseason where the Heat were reportedly heavily interested in acquiring the former MVP. Pat Riley has expressed his reluctance to part with the team's young talent such as Kel'El Ware and Nikola Jovic.
Now, the team has multiple contracts set to expire. Norman Powell, Terry Rozier and Simone Fontecchio will hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. If the Heat didn't want to trade for anybody, it may have been the right time to sell those expiring contracts. Instead, the team will continue to sit in the mediocre category of the Eastern Conference standings. There is always the chance Miami goes on a run, similar to 2023, but it's looking likely the team will have a similar campaign to last season as a potential Play-In team.
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