What will be remembered as one of the most disappointing seasons in recent franchise history is finally over. Being put out of their misery by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the way of a first-round NBA Playoff sweep, the Miami Heat can now look toward the offseason. As they prepare to move past the Jimmy Butler era in Miami, the Heat will have their hands full heading into the summer. With a clear need to upgrade their roster, but with not many natural avenues toward doing so, it will be interesting to see how the Heat operates over the next few months.
The first opportunity to add to the team will arrive via the 2025 NBA Draft. After making the NBA Playoffs via the Play-In Tournament, the Heat will lose their 15th pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but will still own the No. 20 overall selection thanks to the Jimmy trade with the Golden State Warriors. Can the Heat find value with this pick? That’s the hope heading into what has been described as a strong draft class.
The Miami Heat’s biggest need
Heading into the offseason, the Heat desperately need to find a way to revolutionize their offense. Even when Jimmy was still in uniform, this team’s offense left a ton to be desired. They finished this season with the 21st-best offensive rating and were, once again, one of the slower-paced offenses in the league.
If the Heat wants to do themselves any favors on that end of the floor, it would make sense for the front office to find another playmaker to take pressure off Tyler Herro’s shoulders, while also making life easier for Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware in the paint. Finding a lead guard of the future with their late first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft that could set up the offense and apply their own rim pressure could make for a huge difference heading into next season.
Why Tahaad Pettiford is an ideal target
While it may be wishful thinking for the Heat to believe that they’ll be able to find that with the No. 20 overall pick, there’s one prospect who could fit the bill – Tahaad Pettiford. In many ways, Pettiford could be considered a high-risk, high-reward option for the team late in the lottery. With the way Pettiford is currently climbing up draft boards, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll still be around at No. 20. However, if he is, the Heat should make him one of their top targets.
Pettiford has some concerns about his game as he prepares to make the jump to the Association. He doesn’t have great size at 6-foot-1, but his offensive all-around game could be exactly what the Heat is missing in the backcourt. Pettiford’s natural offensive instincts make his potential fit with the Heat so intriguing.
A Pettiford-Herro scoring backcourt duo could be a scary sight for opposing defenses, and Pettiford’s playmaking ability could unlock the potential of Ware moving forward. Bam would also have another playmaking guard that would help put him in a position to feast more in and around the paint, while also continuing to expand his game on the perimeter.
Add in the fact that Pettiford would have the ability to fully immerse himself in one of the league’s best developmental systems, and it’s easy to see why this could work on so many levels. After such a disappointing and underwhelming season for the Heat, taking a gamble on Pettiford could help boost the team’s first full year without Jimmy.
