The Miami Heat remain judged primarily by whether they land a superstar, and the absence of one makes the current offseason appear underwhelming. The team was ranked 23rd in offseason evaluations and finished behind the Chicago Bulls (18th). Miami added Norman Powell, selected Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20, and signed Simone Fontecchio, moves viewed as useful but insufficient to change perception. The Heat pursued Kevin Durant and failed to complete a deal, with reports noting the front office could not bridge the gap without offering Kel'el Ware. Durant's impending age and potential costly extension increase the risk of such a trade.
Chasing superstars has officially boxed the Miami Heat into a corner-if not a coffin. No matter what else they do, they will always be judged off one question: Did they acquire Superstar Player X? Until the answer is "yes," the Heat's present and future will be deemed underwhelming. Look no further than The Athletic's offseason rankings, in which David Aldridge builds a pecking order featuring every team, based on how they fared relative to their goals and available options. The Heat sit in...23rd place.
To Aldridge's credit, he did praise the Heat's acquisition of Norman Powell, because quite frankly, they stole him from the Los Angeles Clippers. He also applauds scooping up Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20, and thinks that Simone Fontecchio will be a useful addition. The primary qualm seems to be the same as everyone else's primary qualm: Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, et al. don't currently reside in Miami.
This is to some extent accurate. Durant was Miami's latest superstar pursuit, and it came up short. Even if the front office could have gotten a deal done by including Kel'el Ware, it doesn't say a lot about the Heat's asset stores that they couldn't get an agreement over the hump without him. That's not too problematic in this specific instance. It may even be a blessing in disguise. Durant turns 37 in September, and could sign a two-year extension worth north of $100 million.
Collection
[
|
...
]