Grading the 2019 NBA offseason for all 30 franchises

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat weren’t supposed to be involved in the spending spree that was the free agency period of 2019.

After having strapped themselves to several high-paying deals for mediocre players, there was little if any salary cap space left over for Miami to sign even a 10th man to come off the bench.

Then again, when Jimmy Butler expresses his desire to come to your organization, you do just about anything it takes to make it happen, which is exactly what Pat Riley did.

In two separate deals to free up the money, out went Josh Richardson, Hassan Whiteside and a first-round pick in exchange for Butler in a sign-and-trade along with Portland Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard.

Butler may reside a notch below the NBA’s true elite, but he’s still a four-time All-Star and one of the best two-way players out there.

His presence down in South Beach gives the Heat a No. 1 option they’ve sorely lacked in recent years, one to build around who’s more than capable of hitting late-game shots.

No. 13 overall pick Tyler Herro drew little hype on draft night, but it didn’t take long for Heat fans to get on board with his potential.

The sweet-shooting Kentucky product averaged 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game at Summer League, impressing all those in attendance and watching from home.

Losing a young stud like Richardson hurts, but Leonard provides a level of spacing the uninterested Whiteside never could while Butler gives the Heat a foundation to build off of moving forward.

It might not lead to much success, but Miami’s newfound relevancy is as good a place to start for one of the most mediocre teams in recent years.

Grade: B+