Mateo’s Hoop Diary: What’s next for the Miami Heat?

Considering how much LeBron James doesn’t like Boston, it’s a surprise he chose Philadelphia, even if he’s not going to live there. Never forget when comedian Bill Burr joked how they honored Rocky Balboa, a fictional boxer before Joe Frazier, who was the first to defeat Muhammad Ali. Time will tell how much mercenary LeBron will be appreciated if he helps deliver a championship, but none of that would have been questioned in Miami. 

The Miami Heat could have used one of the best bargains in NBA history — an all-star caliber player making $4 million annually — but they will be fine.   This may stop Pat Riley from retiring at some point, like James going to Cleveland kept him in the game 12 years ago, yet ‘ol ‘Bron’s legacy play should be respected. While two dynamic guards like Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe plus a two-way star in Jaylen Brown are excellent fits, Joel Embiid’s diminished defensive ability is not next to James.

As for the Heat, Erik Spoelstra is the top coach and Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the Eastern Conference. They also had the best tools to hide James defensively next to the versatility of Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell Pella Larsson and Andrew Wiggins. 

Furthermore, the priority doesn’t change: capturing a top-four seed after four-straight years in the Play-In Tournament. With Giannis being the focal point, it’s expected that they secure home-court advantage, at least through round one. As things stand on paper, the East’s top teams are the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Heat and Indiana Pacers. 

The four top teams each have a compelling storyline as well. In New York’s case, holding the throne is always appealing. Philadelphia hasn’t won a title since 1983, and now James will try to help a fourth team reach the mountain top. The Heat went all in. Plus the Pacers probably would’ve won the 2025 NBA championship if not for Tyrese Haliburton popping his Achilles tendon, and he’s back next season.

After three seasons of directionless hoops following an unlikely Finals trip led by Jimmy Butler and Adebayo, the expectations are Finals or bust in 2026-27, with a championship before their build burns out. The supporting cast is superior now and Giannis is a better player than Butler. 

Nonetheless, the East’s next six teams, in no order, like the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, are still very good, ensuring the deepest the conference has been in a long time. All these quality teams also make it necessary for the Heat’s training and medical staff to keep following up on what they were doing, as seven players logged at least 70 games last season. Only four did it in 2024-25 and just two players the year before that. 

Regardless of missing out on James, the Heat’s off-season still gets an A, and they’ve become a relevant team again. The honeymoon phase is going smoothly, but it needs to continue, at least through the playoffs.