The Miami Heat‘s season is over. They were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of the postseason. Their inability to win a single game illustrates Miami’s need for roster reinforcements.
During his postgame news conference on Monday, April 28, Bam Adebayo admitted that he expects to see significant changes to the Heat’s roster in the coming months.
“There’s going to be a lot of changes this summer,” Adebayo said. “Just from my point of view, understanding how the guy with the silver hair works. Just be prepared for that.”
Adebayo was clearly referencing Pat Riley with his postgame comments. Riley has a track record of retooling Miami’s roster on the fly. He’s also proven capable of landing elite-level talent when his team needs a boost. As such, it would be foolish to expect Miami to stand pat in the coming months.
Of course, the Heat will need to get creative. They’re not a cap space team and have very little in terms of tradeable assets. Nevertheless, there should be enough in the cupboard to swing at least one big trade. The challenge will be doing so without sacrificing Tyler Herro or Adebayo in any deal.
Miami Continues to be Linked to Kevin Durant
If Miami does want to bring in a new star, Kevin Durant is among the most logical choices. The veteran forward is expected to be made available by the Phoenix Suns. As such, Riley could be tempted into piecing together a package to bring Durant to South Beach.
According to a recent report from Marc Stein, Miami is among the teams most frequently linked to Durant.
“Minnesota, New York, Miami and San Antonio rank as the most frequently cited potential Durant suitors,” Stein reported on April 22. “League sources, in particular, have been pinpointing the Timberwolves and Knicks depending on how their postseasons play out.”
Durant would be an ideal star for the Heat moving forward. He’s still among the best scorers in the NBA. And, furthermore, he will be hungry to try and add another championship to his resume before calling time on his career.
Durant And Heat Previously Had Mutal Interest
During an April 2 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that both Durant and the Heat had a mutual interest ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
“Back at the NBA trade deadline, there was a list of teams with which there was mutual interest with Kevin Durant,” Charania said. “Those teams, from my understanding, are Minnesota, that’s New York, Houston, San Antonio and Miami.
Any move for Durant, or any other star, won’t be easy. Miami will face competition from other teams around the league. Furthermore, they must convince their target that they will be able to contend on South Beach. Fortunately, the Heat’s reputation as one of the hardest-playing teams in the league will give them some amount of goodwill.
It remains to be seen how the Heat look to re-tool the roster. Still, one thing is for sure, the team that ended the season won’t be the one that starts the 2025-26 campaign.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bam Adebayo Gets Real on Heat’s Potential Roster Changes appeared first on Heavy Sports.