Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat need to go back to the drawing board after getting swept out of the first round.
After winning the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, the Miami Heat quickly found out this wasn’t the Orlando bubble when taking on the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Miami went from a potential dark horse to come out of the East again as the No. 6 seed, to getting swept by Milwaukee. The Heat did not get a great series out of their best player in Jimmy Butler, and his supporting cast was not much better. Again, the Heat were only a 6-seed to begin with, but their trip to the playoffs was nothing short of complete disaster and utter disappointment.
Here are three critical decisions Miami has to make this summer to get ready for next season.
3. Are the Heat re-signing injured guard Victor Oladipo after trading for him?
Trading for veteran guard Victor Oladipo was seen as the move that could help the Heat get over the top in the East. However, the Miami front office gave up a ton for only four games of a guard playing on an expiring contract. The Houston Rockets got Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, a 2021 first-round pick and then some by taking on the final year of the deal he signed with the Indiana Pacers.
The good news for Miami is Oladipo won’t be as expensive entering unrestricted free agency as he would have had he been healthy. The 2021-22 campaign will be his age-29 season. He has also been a two-time All-Star during eight-year NBA career. However, Oladipo has only been a great player when he has starred in Indiana, whether it was with the Pacers or with the Indiana Hoosiers well before that.
Figuring out what kind of contract to reward him with as he recovers from season-ending surgery on his quadriceps will be a top priority for the Heat.