11. Miami Heat
Marquee summer move: Trading for Jimmy Butler
Many will question whether it was wise for the Miami Heat to pay Jimmy Butler all that money (4-year, $142 million) but regardless the bottom line is that the team improved in a summer in which they entered the offseason with virtually no salary cap space and not many assets.
All in all, it was a great summer for the Heat and you couldn’t convince me otherwise. However, if the Heat is going to be successful on the court, they’re going to need a clear No. 2 to step up. And, right now, I’m not sure who that will be.
A few candidates are Justise Winslow, Bam Adebayo or even, get this, Dion Waiters. Either way, there’s a lot of hype surrounding this team as a potential top 4 team in the East. I can see it, but there’s a lot of work to be done before they get there. The potential is certainly on the roster, however.