Mar 31, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) and center Bam Adebayo (13) react during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Miami Heat Predicted To Improve Win Total This Season

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Sean Jordan | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 12:11 PM ET

The Miami Heat's offseason is mostly wrapped up so now it is time to look ahead to the beginning of the regular season. Miami had a rather disappointing season last year finishing with a below .500 record and having parted with one of their franchise cornerstones, Jimmy Butler, at the trade deadline. However, it seems things are trending in the right direction for this franchise.

Bleacher Report predicted the records for every NBA team this season. The Heat are predicted to finish with a 42-40 record, a five-win improvement over their 37-45 record last season. Their over/under win betting line is 39.5.

"The addition of Norman Powell could go a long way toward boosting the Miami Heat's offense this season, but he's a 32-year-old guard who's never made an All-Star team (and hadn't really come close before last season)," the article wrote. "Outside his addition, it wasn't a particularly noteworthy offseason. But there's still confidence in the Heat clearing their over-under that stems largely from three things. First, they have Erik Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the league and one who's consistently shown an ability to draw more out of individual players than his peers typically can. Second, the drama of Butler's contract and trade saga from last season won't (and can't) plague them from the start of 2025-26 through February. And third, just on paper, Miami should have been better than a 37-45 team in 2024-25. Tyler Herro is a dynamic 2 who can take over a game as a jump shooter. And Bam Adebayo, with his passing and ability to anchor a defense, is one of the game's more unique 5s. With that duo, Powell and one or two of the younger players (such as Jaime Jaquez or Nikola Jović) taking a big step forward this season, the Heat should improve."

The Heat are entering an important season as they look to discover their identity following Butler's exit. The additions this offseason improved their scoring, an aspect that was one of the the team's weaknesses last season. This could be a season where the team misses the playoffs and decides to embrace a rebuild or this could be a season where they finish as a top-three seed in the depleted Eastern Conference. The possibilities range drastically.

A 42-40 record should place Miami as a bottom-seeded East playoff team. However, it's fair to expect more from this group than just squeaking into the playoffs.