The Miami Heat have found themselves infuriatingly close to a title thus far in the Jimmy Butler era. Two years ago, they took LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers to six games in the 2020 NBA Finals, as Butler went toe-to-toe with the King in the Bubble.
The Heat followed their surprising NBA Finals run with a disappointing season in which they were ousted by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a first-round sweep.
They came back strong last season, though, when they dominated their way through the Eastern Conference playoffs, falling just short of another trip to the Finals when they lost to the Boston Celtics in a tight win-or-go-home Game 7.
If Butler’s highly scrutinized pull-up three hadn’t fallen short, perhaps the Heat would have brought home their fourth championship in franchise history.
Now, Miami has to find a way to get their roster over the hump. They tried to do so by acquiring Kyle Lowry before last season, but his age and health have caught up to him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Tyler Herro & Miami Heat Updates
Hopefully, he can have a career renaissance after a full off-season training within the Heat’s culture, but they might want to have some kind of backup plan in place.
The other card up their sleeve has been waiting for Tyler Herro to become a full-fledged star. While he had a spectacular campaign in his third year, he had an injury-riddled postseason that led to multiple poor shooting performances when Miami needed his scoring the most.
Rather than pray that he’s ready to make the leap next season and bring the Heat to the pinnacle, Miami should consider cashing in on his potential to bring in a more established piece around Butler and Bam Adebayo.