Ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season, DK Network is taking an in-depth look at all 30 teams. We’re going over all the big moves from the offseason, predicting the starting lineup, providing a fantasy basketball perspective, looking at relevant odds and assessing season expectations for each franchise. Here’s a look at the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat 2023-24 Outlook
Key additions: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Thomas Bryant, Josh Richardson
When you have to pivot from a plan on the fly, this is about the best you can do. Miami should get decent minutes from all three guys, but none will move the needle when it comes to winning a championship. Jaquez Jr. has the most upside, while Richardson likely provides the best immediate production.
Key departures: Gabe Vincent, Max Strus
Losing two starters from a team that went to the Finals, even if they were considered role players, is tough to make up. Strus got a deal outside Miami’s budget, but Vincent probably could’ve come back had the Heat not been chasing a bigger fish.
Projected starting lineup
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry should be in the starting lineup. Tyler Herro will be there as well. Richardson might get the nod over Caleb Martin, but Martin’s run at the end of the playoffs is something the Heat might want to reward with a starting spot this year.
Fantasy basketball player to watch: Tyler Herro
After being the primary subject of trade talks surrounding Damian Lillard, Herro is back with the Heat. There was a lot of discussion around his value, especially about how the Trail Blazers didn’t believe he was good enough. That’s some additional motivation for the guard, who missed the entire Finals run a year ago and likely feels he could’ve made a difference at the end. Herro’s extension also kicks in, so he has to prove he’s worth that price tag. We saw a leap from Year 2 to Year 3, and we could see one from Year 4 to Year 5 from Herro.
Notable odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Win total: 45.5
To make playoffs: Yes -600, No +425
To win East: +1100
To win NBA title: +2800
Season expectations
The Heat expect to compete every season, and they expect to compete for a championship. Butler has managed to help this team overachieve relative to its seeding, but the Heat have also had dominant showings during the regular season. They’ve reached the conference finals in the last two seasons, making the Finals last year. They were the favorites to land Lillard and cement themselves as the team to beat in the East.
All those hopes were dashed when the Bucks got Lillard, and the Celtics got Jrue Holiday in a secondary deal. Now, the Heat have to play from behind once again with their two biggest rivals. Butler, Adebayo and Herro are good, but are they good enough? A second-round exit in the playoffs against either Milwaukee or Boston feels like the most likely outcome for this season.