The Miami Heat is having an existential crisis; Does Pat Riley have one more miracle move in him?

Bite the bullet, hope for a miracle during the offseason

In the end, the most likely realistic scenario for the Heat is to bite the bullet this year and hope for a miracle during the offseason. That means punting on the year and wasting a year of Jimmy’s prime. It’s not something that the front office would ever admit but it may have to be the course of action that the team takes.

It’s going to be nearly impossible to trade Lowry, Duncan, or Herro. The Heat is probably not going to trade Jimmy or Bam. And the front office has made it clear that they would rather not burn first-round picks to move any of those players.

If that is the philosophy that the team is going to continue to hold on to, the Heat may have to wait until the offseason to figure out a way forward. During the offseason, it may be easier to trade Herro and Lowry. The same for Duncan.

And, maybe then, a worthwhile trade target will emerge. But that’s a gamble that would include a wasted season. Either way, one thing is clear. The Heat is stuck and there’s no easy way forward.