Getty Trevor Ariza #8 of the Miami Heat in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2021.
After Miami was swept in the first round of the 2020-21 NBA playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks, it can be expected for the Heat’s roster to see a major shakeup this summer.
The Heat don’t have a pick in this year’s draft but will have an estimated $25 million in cap space to play with in order to turn things for next season. According to Bleacher Report‘s Grant Hughes, Miami should start by finding a replacement for starter Trevor Ariza.
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Ariza, who turns 36 in July, was a late-season addition to the Heat, and like many of his teammates, will become a free agent this summer. “Ariza is still a valuable playoff contributor because of his experience and savvy on both ends; he’s just not a ‘set it and forget it’ full-season starter anymore,” Hughes wrote.
“Miami gets so much playmaking from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo that it can afford to focus specifically on scoring in its search for an Ariza replacement,” Hughes continued. “The shooting limitations of those same two players make spacing a key priority. Restricted free agent Duncan Robinson’s gravity is powerful, but he can’t attract four help defenders all by himself. ”
While Ariza scored 11 points in Game 4, he went scoreless in Game 3 and Game 2.
Heat President Pat Riley Will Be Gunning to Replace More Players than Just Ariza
GettyMiami Heat president Pat Riley.
As a franchise, the Heat haven’t been swept in the first round of the playoffs since 2007. After being eliminated by the Chicago Bulls, Miami’s team president Pat Riley didn’t waste any time cleaning house. The Heat quickly said goodbye to James Posey, Gary Payton, Michael Doleac, Jason Kapono, Shaquille O’Neal, and Antoine Walker.
Riley will not hesitate to restructure following such a disappointing season, especially after coming within with two games of winning the title last year.
The following players are without job security in South Beach: Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, Trevor Ariza, Max Strus, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala, Nemanja Bjelica, Gabe Vincent, Goran Dragic, Udonis Haslem, and Dewayne Dedmon.
GettyJimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game Four of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at American Airlines Arena on May 29, 2021.
Butler, who still has two years left on his contract, said of his teammates following their brief postseason run:
I’m appreciative that we get to call this our job, play the game that we love, being around people we enjoy being around. Maybe it’ll be a little bit different next year, next season, but for this year it was fun. Through the ups and through the downs, nobody complained. You just go out there and compete, play hard, and I think we did that for the most part.
As for who stays or goes, Butler and fellow All-Star Bam Adebayo will have input but ultimately, those kinds of decisions are made by Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra.”That’s not our job,” Butler said. “Whoever we get the opportunity to play with, we’ve got to go out there and compete.”
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