NEWS UPDATE: The Miami Heat may be on their way to a forgettable offseason After missing out on Damian Lillard….

After the Lillard deal was consummated, Holiday reportedly crossed Miami’s radar. The star guard would have been a major addition for the Heat. However, nothing came out of it, although it is unclear how hard Miami’s front office pursued a trade (if at all).

As for Payne, the veteran point guard would have bolstered the Heat’s backcourt depth, which is why the buzz linking him to the team made sense. But by some twist of fate, Miami lost to the Bucks again.

It remains to be seen how the Heat front office will recover from the supposed failed roster moves. The free agent market ran dry while Miami waited for clarity on the Lillard situation, and the Heat have seemingly yet to address losing Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. However, Tyler Herro’s return from injury and the signing of Josh Richardson should help in those areas.

Miami could also turn to its young prospects, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic, to assume some of the minutes that would have presumably been given to the team’s big targets this offseason.

Only time will tell if the Heat can replicate their 2022-23 season and make their way back to the NBA Finals. That may prove to be more difficult this time around as the competition appears to have gotten stronger.