The Miami Heat is probably not one of the first teams people think of when they think of conference contenders.
However, one NBA analyst is singing their praises amid the criticism. Former ESPN personality Zach Lowe is among those high on Miami this season.
“Even after the Herro injury, I think the Heat are gonna be better than people expect," Lowe said. "Although I think the Herro injury throws a little bit into flux, I think they’ve reached an existential crisis with their offense and need something dramatic to overhaul it. I’ve heard little birdies since then whispering to me that that is indeed occurring— that this team will look very different stylistically on offense than the past three or four years. They've just hit the wall.”
The Heat are projected to be a top-6 team in the Eastern Conference after adding shooting guard Norman Powell and re-signing standout veteran Davion Mitchell. The starting backcourt of Powell and Tyler Herro will create a high-scoring backcourt to offset the stagnating Miami offense. The Heat scraped by as a play-in team last year but have expectations to truly contend for the postseason in 2026.
MIAMI HEAT SHIP ALL-STAR IN HOMETOWN REUNION TRADE PROPOSAL
The Miami Heat may be furtherly open for business than originally anticipated. It was recently reported that the organization and Nikola Jovic have agreed on a rookie contract extension. There were questions about whether a deal would get done, given their prioritization of financial flexibility throughout the summer.
The Heat are in the middle of a reset as they enter their first season without superstar Jimmy Butler on the roster. He was the vocal point of the team's success, especially in the postseason, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals on multiple occasions.
The Heat aren't known for tearing up the roster and rebuilding from scratch. They have grown competent at competing with whatever pieces they have.
However, a recent trade proposal by Bleacher Report would suggest otherwise.
Bam Adebayo is the longest-tenured player on the Heat roster. He was a lottery pick in the 2017 draft and grew to be almost everything the franchise hoped for and more. The eight-year veteran has been named an All-Star three times and made the All-Defensive team five times.
Adebayo has been the heart and soul of the Heat organization since his arrival, and has now grown to be their captain. Last season wasn't terrible for him, but there were some slight regressions. In 78 appearances, Adebayo averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and shot 48.5 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three-point range.