Miami Heat: 3 big questions going into the 2020-21 season

1. Will the Heat make a big trade?

Miami could be a better team than last year thanks to chemistry and any improvement from their young players. That may not be a luxury. It might need to be a necessity if Miami wants to defend their Eastern Conference title.

The path to return to the Finals could be tougher this year. The Brooklyn Nets now have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving fully healthy. The Milwaukee Bucks added Jrue Holiday. The Philadelphia 76ers retooled and have a more balanced roster. And the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors aren’t going anywhere. Miami clawed their way to last year’s Finals but they might need some bigger claws for this go-around.

Seeding won’t be indicative of whether Miami needs help. They were between the third and fifth seed for most of the season. They ended the regular season in the fifth seed and won the conference anyway. The biggest indicator will be how Miami does against the top teams. If they lose a step against the best teams they’ll see in the playoffs, it might signal the need for an upgrade.

The dream of luring Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee died after the two-time MVP agreed to a five-year supermax extension. Betting on a trade request could yield nothing. Miami should keep its eyes open for any star it can reel in.

At the moment, James Harden is the biggest fish out there. The scoring champion of the past three seasons has been involved in plenty of trade rumors and has the Heat on a four-team list that he would want to be traded to, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Acquiring Harden would cost a fortune but the move could make the team much more dangerous.

If Miami can’t get Harden, there are still some former All-Stars who could be on the market. Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan are on teams that may decide to fully embrace a tank and ship out their aging stars. Aldridge and DeRozan are on expiring contracts, so Miami would have to extend them to make a trade worthwhile.

Aldridge and Love provide shooting and scoring from the power forward/center spots. DeRozan provides slick scoring in the mid-range and at the rim as well as decent playmaking. Depending on what Miami would give up, trading for one of the three players would enhance the Heat’s offense.

Waiting on 2021 free agency to improve the team could help the Heat retain their young players but there are two big risks. First off, that Miami, although it has been one of the most successful free agent hubs in recent memory, is not guaranteed to sign a star.

Secondly, choosing not to upgrade the team could waste a year of Jimmy Butler. The 31-year-old’s time as one of the league’s elite players is running out. Miami needs to be in contention for the title sooner rather than later. Keeping the young core intact and having them pick up the slack for Butler when he starts slowing down is the best-case scenario, but it’s not guaranteed to happen.

Although an onslaught of young talent drives the Heat, they can’t be too patient. That doesn’t mean Riley should throw every young player out the door to get older veterans, but Miami needs to continue making progress towards a championship to win one with Butler – and 34-year-old Goran Dragic – leading them. A big trade may need to happen in order for them to do that.