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Miami Heat look to be wasting no time in their mission to return to the NBA Finals. After coming so close to yet another ring last season, the Heat failed to live up to expectations this year due to injuries and teams around them improving their rosters.
To combat that, Pat Riley and the Heat front office have been busy in the NBA offseason and have made significant moves in the first week of free agency. In this article, we will run down those moves and grade them dependent on how they can help the team going forward.
Analyzing the Miami Heat's 2021 NBA offseason moves
Before winning eight of their last ten fixtures, there was a fear that the Miami Heat could miss out on the playoffs should they fall into the play-in tournament. Nevertheless, they finished sixth in the East and while they only won four less games than the 2019-20 season, the holes in their squad were evident.
Never more evident were they to see than when the Milwaukee Bucks, who they had defeated on their way to the 2020 Finals, swept them in the first-round of the playoffs.
That inevitably irked those in the Miami Heat organization and they have been on a mission ever since to rebuild and retool, which they have done so successfully so far.
Trading for Kyle Lowry
The big fish in this year's NBA free agency was Kyle Lowry and Miami Heat were the team able to bring in the veteran point guard.
Lowry will bring with him consistency, leadership and championship experience. Most importantly, though, he is still showing the kind of lethal point-scoring ability that has made him one of the best point guards in the league over the past decade.
The 35-year-old has the shot-making capacity to heat up at any time and can take over down the stretch. He connected with 43% of field-goal efforts this year and almost 40% of threes on his way to averaging 17.2 points per game.
The only downside to this trade is his salary that the Miami Heat are now tied to. He will be making around $30m a year, which, if the franchise are paying that kind of money to a 39-year-old point guard at the end of his tenure, may regret.
Grade: A-
Extending Jimmy Butler
After agreeing to a max contract extension with Bam Adebayo last year, it was only right that the Miami Heat extend the team's other cornerstone player, Jimmy Butler. Despite struggling through injuries, Butler posted 21.5 points, career-highs in rebounds (7.1) and assists (6.9) and led the league in steals (2.1) per game.
His three-point shooting continued to waver, but he did connect with 50% of field-goal efforts.
Butler is the engine of this Miami Heat team. He provides leadership on and off the court and is their best player at both ends of the floor. If he can stay healthy for the entire season, the Heat will be in good shape to challenge at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Signing P.J. Tucker
Bringing in PJ Tucker was somewhat of a surprise in this year's free agency. The 36-year-old power forward agreed to a two-year deal with Miami after negotiations with the Milwaukee Bucks fell through.
However, Heat fans won't care. Prying away a player who starred for one of your conference rivals in their championship run is certainly a coup that will help the franchise challenge the likes of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the playoffs.
Tucker's grit and tenacious attitude on defense will lend itself perfectly alongside Butler and Adebayo in the Miami Heat frontcourt and with the scorers around him, it won't matter that the team's offense is not going to improve with his signing.
The Heat now have their replacement for Jae Crowder and, combined with Lowry's deal, have one of the best starting fives in the league.
Grade: A-
Signing Markieff Morris
Getting Markieff Morris on a veteran's minimum contract is what brings this deal close to earning an A for its grade. Morris will be a solid backup to PJ Tucker at power forward and can catch fire from three on occasion.
However, his overall contribution on offense won't inspire Miami Heat fans.
On the defensive end is where Morris fits into the Miami Heat culture perfectly. His doggedness and competitive nature will help improve a Heat defense that failed to live up to the bar set in the 2020 bubble.
He also provides championship experience and should the move not prove successful, it will only be for one year so the Heat can easily duck out next summer.
Grade: B+
Re-signing Duncan Robinson
Bringing Duncan Robinson back for $18m/year was a good bit of business by the Miami Heat. A lot of teams in the NBA had been sniffing around the marksman in free agency but it was always likely that the Heat, who lack perimeter scorers, were going to do what they could to make sure he stuck around in Florida.
Robinson has been a starter for the Miami Heat over the past two seasons, in which time he has shot at over 40% from downtown and averaged 13 points.
Although Heat fans will want to see him improve on defense, that kind of shooting (Robinson takes over eight attempts per game) is not widely attainable in the NBA, certainly not at such a reasonable price for a player coming into his peak years.
So this was yet another wise move from a franchise looking to compete in an improved Eastern Conference next year.
Grade: A
Re-signing Victor Oladipo
Re-signing Victor Oladipo to a minimum deal is arguably one of the best moves of the NBA offseason. It's the perfect low-risk, high-reward situation for the Miami Heat, particularly if he is able to return to full fitness.
It's exceedingly rare for a former All-Star who can put up over 20 points a night and is only 29 to become available at that sort of price.
In the 33 games Oladipo was available for this season, he averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals. If he is able to return from rehab and even play half the season, it will be worth the layout for the Heat.
Grade: A
Bringing back Dewayne Dedmon, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus
In rounding out their roster, the Miami Heat added depth at a team-friendly price. Dedmon proved crucial last year as a rim protector and efficient scorer off the bench.
Meanwhile, Strus averaged six points in 13 minutes per game as Butler's backup and Gabe Vincent will now have to step up even more with Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn departing in the backcourt.
Grade: B+
Overall Offseason Grade: A
