The Miami Heat Have Some Major Decisions in 2023 Free Agency

Max Strus was a valuable role player for the Miami Heat, but now he’s a free agent heading into a pivotal offseason.
Image credit: Matt Siocum, Associated Press

Though the Miami Heat are coming off one of the most exciting postseason runs in NBA history, they find themselves in a peculiar, yet intriguing offseason situation. They have their three leading scorers (Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro) all under contract until at least 2026, but there are a few important things to note. First, Herro (the Heat’s third-leading scorer in the regular season) missed all but one game of the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals. Secondly, two of their key bench players in the postseason, Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson (who was out of the rotation before the playoffs), made nearly $45 million combined and are both under contract for next season. Lastly and most importantly, the Heat’s starting backcourt in the 2023 playoffs, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, only made a combined $3.4 million this past season and both need a new contract this summer. In summary, here is a list of the Heat’s 2023 free agents (per Spotrac):

Jamal Cain (two-way player, restricted)

Max Strus (unrestricted)

Kevin Love (unrestricted)

Victor Oladipo (player option)

Orlando Robinson (two-way player, restricted)

Gabe Vincent (unrestricted)

Omer Yurtseven (restricted)

Cody Zeller (unrestricted)

The big issue for the Heat this offseason is cap space. With Herro’s rookie extension kicking in, the Heat will have four players making at least $27 million next season, which almost takes up the entire salary cap. Additionally, if they do not trade Robinson, the Heat will have their entire salary cap filled by only five players. They’re already over the cap with Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith, and Nikola Jovic all under contract next season too. Yet, the Heat will still need to sign seven more players to standard contracts and sign two two-way players to fill out their roster. The Heat must decide how much they’re willing to spend to keep an NBA Finals-caliber roster together that accomplished all they did without their third-leading scorer Herro. Every additional dollar they spend, if they want to keep key playoff contributors like Vincent, Strus, and Love, will add a massive luxury tax bill to an already expensive roster. Is their current team worth a heavy, long-term investment? Many of the Heat’s 2023 free agents were crucial to their historic run to the Finals, and losing them might be a risky move going forward.

Gabe Vincent

After the Heat decided midway through the 2023 season that Kyle Lowry would come off the bench, Vincent became the new starting point guard. Though his shooting percentages dropped a little bit from the 2022 season, Vincent was a perfect fit next to Butler, Adebayo, and Herro. Vincent didn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective, as he was a good spot-up shooter, had a high basketball IQ, and was a solid defender. He complimented the entire Heat roster very well and could fit with any lineup combination head coach Erik Spoelstra put on the court. Vincent stepped up his game in the playoffs and greatly improved his three-point percentage. He had so many important performances for the Heat on the road this postseason, and they likely don’t make it to the Finals without his shooting prowess. Vincent struggled a bit in the Finals, but his game two performance facilitated a massive win. His value is severely underrated, and losing their starting point guard would be a significant blow for the Heat.

Max Strus

Image credit: Max Krohn, USA TODAY Sports

Strus became a starter for the Heat during the 2022 season after breaking out into one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He was a starter during their 2022 playoff run and was extremely valuable with his shooting and defense. However, he was no longer a starter during the 2023 season when Herro took his starting spot. Like Vincent, his shooting percentages dropped, but he was still a crucial rotation player that added some nice depth behind Herro. Strus then became a full-time starter again in the 2023 playoffs after Herro broke his hand in game one of the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks. Strus improved his shooting percentages and made some big shots down the stretch of many close playoff games. Players like Strus are very valuable to building a championship team, so letting him walk in free agency is a tricky decision.

Kevin Love

Love signed with the Heat later in the 2023 season after the Cleveland Cavaliers bought out his contract. He immediately joined the starting lineup, which allowed Caleb Martin to come off the bench and thrive in a similar role he had the previous season. Love was a good fit next to Adebayo in the front court because he could space the floor well, was a good passer, and could guard some centers to take pressure off Adebayo defensively. Love shot well from three in the 2023 playoffs, and though he was in and out of the rotation throughout the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, his veteran leadership and experience were extremely valuable. He provided a sense of calm in the locker room, and many Heat players said that signing Love was a major reason for their postseason turnaround. Love was a perfect fit and a consummate pro in the locker room, so losing his leadership will mean much more for the Heat than simply losing their starting power forward.

Udonis Haslem

Image credit: Marta Lavandier, Associated Press

Haslem deserves praise and recognition for being only the third player in NBA history to play with one franchise for twenty seasons, along with Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki. That’s some great company to be in, and Haslem’s locker room presence might be the main reason for the Heat’s sustained success. It will be different not having Haslem around in the locker room, as he suited up for his final game with the Heat for game five of the NBA Finals. Haslem will forever be considered a Miami legend.

What Happens with Oladipo?

Victor Oladipo was key to the Heat’s 2022 playoff run following multiple knee surgeries and setbacks. The Heat resigned him to a two-year deal that offseason, but Oladipo struggled to stay healthy throughout the 2023 season. However, by the 2023 playoffs he was healthy and set to be a valuable rotation player. Unfortunately, he sustained another tragic knee injury in game three of the first round. Heat players were visibly upset and emotional because Oladipo has gone through so much and has been the ultimate pro through it all. Tragic injuries continue to keep Oladipo off the court, but his heart, determination, and grit should get him back on the court sometime next season. Oladipo has a player option for 2024, so more likely than not, he’ll opt-in. Although when Oladipo was in a similar situation in the 2021 offseason, he opted to sign a veteran’s minimum contract instead to give the Heat some financial flexibility. If healthy, he can be a valuable option in the backcourt behind Lowry and Herro.

What’s Next?

Cody Zeller was another key role player down the stretch for Miami in the regular season and playoffs, though he had limited minutes against the Celtics and Nuggets. Zeller was signed late in the season, but he proved to be a solid option behind Bam Adebayo and could hold his own to give Adebayo a breather. It’s unclear if he’ll be back, but the Heat need a backup center behind Adebayo. Omer Yurtseven could fill that void, who’s another undrafted gem for the Heat, but he’s also a free agent. Yurtseven played very well in spot minutes throughout the 2022 season. Despite not seeing as much playing time this past season, Yurtseven might be the perfect player to back up Adebayo. Furthermore, the Heat’s two-way free agents Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson didn’t see much action at the NBA level, but it’s possible the Heat sign them to standard contracts and elevate their roles next season if they like what Cain and Robinson have done behind the scenes. The Heat carries a profound history of developing undrafted players, so it’s not surprising if Cain and Robinson are their next diamonds in the rough. The Miami Heat have many questions to answer this offseason, but one thing is clear: they will always find a way to (as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst puts it) always be competitive (ABC).