Analysts Rate Miami Heat’s 2025 Postseason Chances After Massive Jimmy Butler Trade

While other fandoms might have to chuck this season away as a lost one, NBA insiders believe that the team should be more than ready to put on a show. They’re claiming that Miami—more than any team in the league—has what it takes to bounce back from a problematic situation.

Analysts believe the Miami Heat can bounce back to a guaranteed postseason spot after trading Jimmy Butler

ESPN’s NBA insiders collated an analysis of the Jimmy Butler trade, answering multiple difficult questions for the Heat and Warriors fandoms. The analysts had just as many question marks on the Heat’s chances to make a deep postseason run as the Dubs, but they collectively agree that having Butler out of South Beach is a net positive for the roster.

“The Heat have a chance to stay out of the play-in tournament and reach the top six of the East, which would be a nice accomplishment after this ongoing saga threatened to derail their season,” Jamal Collier wrote. However, he doesn’t think Herro is enough to push Miami past the first round.

Baxter Holmes echoed Collier’s statement. He explained that while he can see Miami secure a first-round appearance, they don’t have any answers to the rosters Boston, New York, or Cleveland have assembled.

Tim McMahon shares the same sentiments as his colleagues, but he gives a little credit to Erik Spoelstra:

You have to give the Heat a sliver of a chance to get out of the first round, considering Spoelstra’s track record. But Miami seems like first-round fodder.

McMahon is referencing Spoelstra’s incredible feat of taking the 2017-18 Heat roster to the first round when they had no business being in it. The team’s top scorer then was a 31-year-old Goran Dragic, with Dion Waiters putting up an incredible individual performance that year. If Coach Spo was able to bring such a team to the postseason, one can only imagine what he can do with a Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo duo.

Almost everyone agrees that the Heat would need a ridiculous amount of luck to make it to the Eastern Conference Semis. However, it would be foolish to completely dismiss the squad with what they have going for them.