Apr 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) and head coach Erik Spoelstra ask for a replay against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Front Office Analyst Suggests Down Year For Miami Heat May Benefit Future

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Bryan Townes | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 9:08 AM ET

After back-to-back disappointing regular seasons and first-round exits, the Miami Heat are a middle-tier team in the Eastern Conference.

They aren’t bad enough to tank and receive lottery picks, but they certainly aren’t among the five best teams in the East by the postseason anymore. Because of this, Keith Smith from Spotrac believes the Heat can move forward with their future by having a down year in 2026 if they strike out on landing a star in free agency or by trade in the offseason.

“They could reasonably hit the summer of 2026 with $30 or $40 million in cap space, with the potential for even more,” Smith explained. “Obviously, if the Heat swing a star trade this offseason, that changes everything. Either way, they’re set up with pretty good flexibility no matter which direction they go.”

“That means this might be another down year,” Smith continued. “Given Miami owns their own first-round pick free and clear in the 2026 draft, it might not be a bad time to have a gap year. Then, the Heat can get back to work with cap space and a good pick in the summer of 2026.”

After multiple All-Star selections for Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s best year of his career, the Heat are reluctant to build a future without them unless it’s a last resort. Losing Jimmy Butler has finally allowed the team a decent amount of flexibility. Unfortunately, star players don’t wait until free agency to move anymore. This leaves tanking as the Heat’s best option to gain another realistic and quality asset in the 2026 draft, while keeping Herro, Adebayo, and the rest of their young core.